Bloody Slippers
by Nefret8789
Summary: Mai goes off to New York to star in revival ballet. Naru realizes his mistake and goes after Mai after being visited by Gene who informs him that Mai is in grave danger. Will Naru be able save Mai and win her back before curtain call? Sequel to Lost.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. The second story in my series. This is squeal to Lost.**

**Bloody Slippers**

** Chapter 1**

It had been two years since the summer that opened the door into Mai's past. It was now her first year of college and she was majoring in the arts. Right now she was in the musical theatre program. She still worked part time for Naru and lived with her guardians Monk and Ayako.

"Very good, Mai." Her dance instructor said as Mai stretched her body out into the different moves. "I think you have the potential to become a great dancer, but you have trouble focusing. If you want to be great then you must become dedicated." The instructor walked away.

Mai finished her class and grabbed her bag. She headed out the door and out of the dance studio on campus. She looked at her watch and began to run. 'Shoot! I'm already late! Naru will never let me hear the end of it.'

Mai was running as fast as she could. Considering that she had just had her dance class and was tired and sweaty, running at record speed was not an easy task. She ran up the steps and burst through the door gasping for air.

"I- here! - Sorry- I-" Mai was cut off by Naru who had just come out of his office reading a case file.

"Your late." He said in his cold voice. "This is unacceptable behavior for an assistant of mine." He turned to face her now.

"I was about to apologize-" Mai tried to talk, but was cut off again.

"And your appearance is unacceptable too. What are clients going to think when they see a disheveled assistant?"

"But I—" Mai began again.

"Clearly this job is not important enough for you to practice professionalism." Naru turned back to his file and began to walk away.

"Hey! I haven't had a chance to speak! So don't even think about moving or ignoring me, you jerk!" Mai screamed at Naru who now turned to look at her. He raised his eyebrow.

"Then what do you have to say for yourself?" he asked her coldly.

"Look it's not easy. You knew I had a dance class today and you still scheduled me to come in at this time!"

"As you boss I am entitled to schedule you when I need you to come in." Naru replied.

"I understand that, but you're not even willing to schedule around my classes and rehearsals!"

"Your busy schedule never affected you work before this, I don't see why it should be a problem now."

"Naru! My life has changed since then!" Mai yelled at him. It certainly had changed. Ayako and Monk we're now her guardians and had let her quit some of the hectic activities she had previously been involved with. She had been going to see a therapist once a week for the past two years. Mai and Naru had even taken their relationship to the next level, but things had gone south for the couple. Mai started college and Naru became more demanding. He scheduled her extra hours and was not willing to work with her schedule so that she didn't have to rush from classes to work. This had cause a strain in their relationship.

"I'm aware of that, but that's no excuse for this kind of behavior. Don't forget that I'm your boss here and not your boyfriend."

"You don't seem to be my boyfriend at all anymore. Ever!" she yelled at him some more.

"If your going to cry do it on someone else's time and not mine." He then went back in his office.

"Bastard!" she screamed and stormed out of the office, past the rest of the team, crying.

"What was that all about?" Madoka asked Naru.

"It was nothing."

"That didn't look like nothing to me!" Ayako snapped.

"Mai was crying care to explain why?" Lin asked.

"It's none of your business."

"It is my business if someone makes my little girl cry!" Monk growled.

"Mai has been making great progress all things considered and lately she seems to be regressing." Ayako said. This caused Naru to pay attention. "You are making things too hard for her. She has been skipping her therapy appointments because you keep scheduling her. Don't you even look at the schedule that she gives you every week?"

Naru had been throwing away her schedules every time. "No I haven't. I give her a work schedule and it's her job to schedule around it. Not my job to schedule everything around her."

"Naru!" Madoka yelled at him. "What is wrong with you? You are being very unreasonable! Why?"

"I can probably guess." Yasuhara spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. "Naru is having jealousy issues. He and his business are no longer the center of Mai's world and he can't deal with it so he is trying to make it so he is the center of her world. Also there is probably a lack of sex going on between the two because of this and Naru is feeling it."

Naru got up and stormed into his office and slammed the door.

**Back to Mai**

Mai had run off. She was so angry and hurt at that moment that she just kept running. She finally stopped and slumped on a bench. She looked up at the little coffee shop across the street. She decided to go touch up her face and get something to drink.

As she came out of the bathroom she ran into some of her classmates.

"Mai?" one of the girls asked. "It's great to see you!" she squealed.

"We never imagined running into you outside of class." Another girl said.

"Yeah. You always run off before anyone can invite you out." A guy added.

"Oh sorry. I have a job and my boss is very demanding." Mai smiled.

"Would you please join us and tells us all about yourself? You're the mystery of the school." One of the girls asked. Mai joined them at their table. She explained that her boss was also her boyfriend and that lately he had been very demanding of her.

"I mean I understand that its not very professional to have you boss schedule around you life, but he's making it very hard for me to schedule my life around work."

"Wow we can all understand how hard it is to do school and work, but most bosses are very cool about scheduling. Nothing as grueling as yours and he's your boyfriend." One of the girls said.

"Did you hear about the New York Summer Showcase? They are looking for someone to play the lead in the revival of the ballet The Red Shoes. It's open to anyone all you have to do is send in an audition piece." Another girl said.

"You should try out! You'd be perfect!" one of the guys exclaimed.

"Really? I don't know…." Mai said "But you know what it can't hurt to at least tryout."

Mai felt much better after spending sometime with her classmates. She knew what she wanted to do now. She walked through the door to their apartment and was greeted by her puppy and cats.

"Hey guys. Where's Monk and Ayako?" Mai shuffled through and into the kitchen where she was immediately confronted with her guardians.

"Mai!" They both ran towards her.

"Um hey guys. It's nice to see you too." Mai was a little surprised by their behavior.

"We were so worried." Ayako said as she patted Mai down and inspected her for injuries.

"Yeah kiddo, we saw you running away crying and when you didn't come back and we could get a hold of you we began to worry." Monk explained.

"Oh yeah. Naru and I had a fight. I was late for work again. I think I understand why he's so strict now, but I still think he's being a little insensitive."

Monk and Ayako exchanged looks as they all sat down for dinner. They chatted about different things pertaining to their day.

"Oh I wanted to tell you guys about something important. I've decided to tryout for the New York Summer Showcase. It's the chance of a lifetime and really want to do it." Mai told them.

"That's wonderful, Mai! Are you sure you're up to it though?" Ayako asked.

"I know I am and this is something I have to do if I ever want to be a great dancer."

"Well if you're sure about it then you have our blessing. I know how important it is to have the support of your parents when following your dream." Monk said.

"Thank you, thank you!" Mai squealed and hugged and kissed them.

**Back to Naru**

Naru was in him office staring off into space. He was hoping that Mai would have come back or called, but she hadn't. Naru was too proud to admit that maybe he was a little to harsh on her and that all things considered she was fairing well under the pressure from him. People who are the victims of traumatic crimes as Mai was don't always handle stress well. It had been two years and he knew the wounds were still fresh for her.

There was a knock at the door and Lin entered. "We need to talk."

"I don't think there is anything that we need to discuss at all." Naru turned his chair around so his back was to Lin.

Lin walked over and looked in the trash bin and pulled out the last three weeks of schedules that Mai had given to Naru. "Oh we definitely need to talk. You have to cut Mai's work load."

"If I can remember correctly I'm still the boss here." Naru said angrily.

"If I remember correctly, your not the one who signs my paycheck so technically I don't work for you." Lin replied. "Aren't you the least bit concerned that Mai has been skipping her therapy sessions because of you?"

Naru was silent. That had surprised and worried him to hear that Mai was no longer go to therapy when everyone knew she still needed to. She had made great progress, but she was not completely healed and she probably would never be.

"Look it's not too late. Go to her apartment and just apologize and start being more considerate and schedule around her or make so she can schedule around work and school a lot easier." Lin turned and left.

Naru sat there is the dark and thought about what Lin had said. He began to think back to earlier that day when he and Mai had fought. He had made her cry. He had sworn to Gene that he would never to that to her. Maybe he should go and apologize, but Naru decided that it would be better to wait and till she came into work again.

**Ok so this the 2****nd**** story in the series. I'm really looking forward to the last one. I put a lot of thought into that one, but I have to write this one and the next two first, which I'm excited about too. I'm just being kind of sloth like when it comes to writing because its been hot and I have major sunburn. Naru and Mai are struggling with the stresses of how to balance your love life and stay professional and college. It's something that most people who are in a relationship when they go off to college deal with. How to keep the one you love or care for in that part of your life too. The next story that I've decided so far to call Change is going to be like. How to deal with the person your becoming and how to deal with someone who is changing. Do you accept it or do you resist? The one that will come after that (but I don't like the title Gained) will take place years later with Mai 25 and Naru 26. It's going to be mostly about Naru perspective on the situation that he and Mai have to deal with. The final story Love is going to come right after that and its going to be mostly Mai's perspective. What she has to deal with because of what happened in the previous stories. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Ghost Hunt.

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**

**Chapter 2 **

The next day Mai went into her instructor's office where she told her that she wanted to audition for the Red Shoes. Her instructor was so delight to hear this that she suggested that they work on her audition piece now.

Mai walked into the dance studio. She looked around the empty room and at the mirrored walls. She began to stretch. She felt so at home here. She had been dancing as soon as she had learned to walk. Dancing was not as gracefully and tranquil as it looked. She could remember back to all the times when she got sores on her feet and the blood stained slippers. She looked at the worn slippers on her feet. "If these shoes could talk?" Mai thought. They would tell about a hard life where all spare time was spent working on their craft. Their art form. Mai's blood was forever stained in those slipper.

"How accurately they reflect the life of their owner?" Mai heard a voice say to her. She looked up and around the room, but no one was there. Mai felt the prickling of fear as she the words ring true. Her life was stained with blood. The blood of Gene and Katsumi. Even the blood of Katsumi's victims. She could hear their screams sometimes. She hear the taunting voice. She didn't know who the voice was, but she knew why she heard it. It was her punishment. It only came when she was alone. Never when she was with her family and her friends. Naru kept it away, but lately with the strain it had become stronger. Mai stood up and ran to the speaker systems and plugged in her mp3 player. The music began to play. **(Guilty Beauty Love by Mamoru Miyano. These is the English translation. I didn't feel like putting the Japanese lyrics done. But you can find them if you just search it. There is a version that is sung by the English voice actor which I also like and my mom obsesses over. Youtube would have that.)**

Mai began to dance and warm up to the music. She was such as Tamaki fan girl. If Naru knew he would never let her live it done. Mai wondered if she could ever get him to cosplay as Tamaki. The song made her think of Naru. They certainly had a similar opinion when it came to themselves. Except Tamaki was much nicer. Mai laughed at the thought of Naru acting as Tamaki.

"Never would happen in a million years." She laughed to herself.

The crime is that God created me beautifully  
I'm wrong to be reflected in your eyes  
The punishment is that I'm overfilled with love  
Nevertheless, I'll still love you, right?  
GUILTY BEAUTY LOVE

Open the door, take a step forward, and welcome to the world of your dreams  
I'll escort you, kneel, and kiss your hand  
Even a shy goddess looked back at the LUCKY GUY  
Because I'll heal your tired heart

The crime is that everything I touch falls in love  
It's completely not your fault for having your HEART stolen  
The punishment is that I infinitely offer up love  
Nevertheless, you'll still touch me, right?  
GUILTY BEAUTY LOVE

The moon appearing at night is me, and you, who embraces and burns, are the sun  
We meet and it's so blindingly bright that shadows can't form  
When I deliver a bouquet of passion, Cutie Lady  
Here, you're always a Heroine

The crime is that God gave me these lips  
I'm wrong to have invited you into a dream  
The punishment is that I'm overloaded with love  
Nevertheless, you're still charmed by me, right?  
GUILTY BEAUTY HEART

The music stopped and Mai ran over and got a drink of water as her instructor returned with a small camera.

"We are going to run through your audition piece and then I'm going to record it and send it in. The deadline is coming up." Her instructor explained.

She ran through her routine. She got it perfect the first time. Her instructor messed with the camera and set it on the tripod. She picked up a remote and pressed the button. The melody of Franz Schburt's Quintet for Piano & Strings, in A Major, Allegro vivace played. Mai danced and twirled her body gracefully to brisk music and changing melody.

She finished and bowed. She had dance for almost 14 minutes straight.

"That was perfect! You have so much talent. More than I have ever seen." Her instructor exclaimed.

Mai went straight to the Office from the studio. She entered the office. She was still on cloud nine from dancing experience.

"You're late." Said the cold voice pulling her back into reality.

"Or sorry. I was just-" Mai was about to tell him excitedly about her audition, but Naru had already walked off to his office. This was really starting to piss Mai off. She stormed into the office causing Naru to jump a little. She had startled him. "I'm am so sick of not being able to finish my sentences. What the hell is your problem?"

Naru was about to speak, but Mai was not going to let him. "Shut up! I'm still not done! Ever since I started college you've been a complete ass. I know that you can' always schedule around me and as my boss and someone running a business that's really unprofessional, but you could at least be a little more understanding and not try to help me loose my mind completely."

Naru was going to apologize to her and tell her he was being unreasonable. In fact he had even planned a speech for her about how he had been a bad boyfriend and a bad boss to her, but he did. For some reason Naru's pride and the fact that he felt the need to defend himself as Mai yelled at him and so he and Mai got into an even bigger argument.

The rest of SPR was hovering around. No one wanted to get in the middle of this, but no wanted it to go on and for the two to say more stupid things and cause more problems for the both of them. Lin finally stepped in.

"Hey." He said but the two could hear him over the bickering. "Hey you two!" he yelled louder, but still no success.

"STOP FIGHTING AND BE QUIET!" Everyone including Mai and Naru turned to the unexpected source. John was red in the face and puffing. He looked at everyone and smile his usual John smile. "Well since that's done why don't we try to work this out in a calm and pleasant manner?" Just then Mai's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered it. Instantly she began to scream and jump up and down.

Everyone looked at her confused. "Mai? What is it?" Ayako asked her.

"I did it. I got it!" Mai cried out. Ayako began to jump and scream with her.

"Hey make room for daddy." Monk yelled and the three where all in a big hug.

"I'm a little confused." Masako said.

"I auditioned for the lead in the revival for the ballet the Red Shoes! I'm going to be the center piece for the New York Summer Showcase!" Mai cried some more.

Everyone joined in the cheers and celebration. At least everyone except Naru and Lin. Lin showed his enthusiasm with a nod and a grunt, but Naru was very quiet. His face was impassive. Everyone calmed down and Yasuhara suggested that they go out and celebrate.

"I'm going to stay behind. I have some work to do." Naru told them.

"Naru…" Mai sounded hurt and confused. Naru gave her a smile that always melted her heart. Mai smiled back and kissed him on the cheek before heading out with everyone for a celebratory lunch.

Naru spent the whole time thinking about it. Mai would be going to New York for three months. He would be short handed. He wouldn't see her. Maybe an email and a phone call here and there, but she would not be with him. Naru felt a pang of anger and sadness. He didn't understand what was wrong with him and why he felt so angry. Mai thought she could have a career and a life with Naru and SPR. That was just not possible. He couldn't have her bailing on cases so that she could attend a rehearsal. He couldn't turn a client down because he had to watch his girlfriend perform. This was his career and for a while it was hers too. Naru had come to the come to the conclusion that she just couldn't have both she had to choose.

A few hours later the rest of the team returned and Naru sat in his office and wait for the moment. Mai came him and brought his tea. He hadn't asked for it, but she knew.

"Mai I need to talk to you."

"Hmm?" She looked at him with her cute confused look.

"It's important."

Mai stood there and crossed her arms as if she were bracing herself for more arguing. "What is it Naru?"

"You can't have both."

"Excuse me?"

"You have to pick one. SPR or the showcase."

"Wait you're making me choose?" Mai started to get angry. "Who says I can't have both?"

"Me." Naru told her. "Look no matter what you are divided. You can not commit to dancing and you can not commit to work either. You are spreading yourself thin and its making you suffer." He went on to explain, but things didn't come out right and so he sound aggressive and Mai got defensive.

"You have to choose!" he yelled at her. "RIGHT NOW!"

"Fine I choose the Summer Showcase!" and she stormed out.

Naru sat there stunned. He hadn't been expecting that answer from her. He knew what he had to do. He pulled out an address book from his desk and dialed the number.

* * *

**The next day**

Mai came into the office to apologize for flipping out on Naru. After she thought about it, she realized that Naru had a point. She couldn't do both. Her dance instructor had pointed it out to her along with her classmates. She was not focused in class and she was not focused in work. She had to choose.

She walked into the office to find someone new was there. "Um hello?"

The guy before her bopped around in a strange fashion that must have been dancing. He was wearing ear buds that must have connected to an mp3 played. The guy turned and say Mai standing there.

"Oh hey. What's up? You a client?" He asked her.

"No. I'm Mai Taniyama. Who are you?" Mai scowled at him.

"Oh I'm Sonny Joon. The new assistant. So can I pack your stuff up or did you come here to do that?" Mai stormed past him and into Naru's office and slammed the door shut.

"You replaced me already?" Mai asked.

"You quit." Naru answered.

"I didn't quit. I never said the words I quit."

"You made your choice."

"You know I came here to tell you that I was sorry for freaking out and that you had a point." Mai said with her hands on her hips.

"Does that mean you changed your mind?" Naru asked her. He was hoping she'd say yes.

"Oh no, I'm definitely going to New York, but since I've been replaced that leaves one thing left to do."

"And that is?" Naru asked.

"Goodbye. Thanks for everything, but it's just not worth it anymore. We can't be a part of each others lives. You made that clear." Mai walked away and out of SPR.

Naru realized he was the biggest idiot in the world at that moment.

* * *

**OK so Mai and Naru have broken up. A few notes for you guys. The Red Shoes is sort of a ballet. There was this movie called the Red Shoes that had this ballet in it called the Red Shoes. When I was thinking up the plot for this story I actually was thinking about an episode of Murder She Wrote where they do this Ballet that's supposedly cursed and so I was going to use the name it had, but couldn't find it. So I decided to use the Red Shoes. It works. Bloody Slippers. Red Shoes. It was an interesting movie. I watch too much TCM. Anyways so I'm going to try and not give away the plot, but Mai is going to do the Red Shoes which is supposedly cursed. Which is an old fairy tale too by Hans Christian Andersen. The movie is a little complicated. This woman loves dancing. This guy asks her why she dances and she asks him why he breathes and he says he doesn't know he just has to and she says that's why she dances she just has to. So then this guy the ballet director has her falls for her and has her dance this ballet the Red Shoes composed by this young Composer. She and the composer fall in love and the director is pissed and fires him and then she quits to go with him. The composer then becomes famous. So then the dancer is given the chance to dance in the Red Shoes again. She hides it from her husband the composer, but he finds out and confronts her and tries to make her choose. It is right before the show. So he basically tells her he is leaving her. The director comes in and is all "its ok you don't need him. You have your career." So then she is being led to the stage, but she turns and runs and jumps from a balcony to kill herself. Her husband sees this and rushes to her. She dies and the director says that no one will ever perform the Red Shoes ever again. Another thing. Sonny Joon was a character from this came i played a long time ago. It was a Nancy Drew game and She had to take over this assistant job and that this guy Sonny Joon was fired from. She has to use his notebook to help her. It was funny because he had all these doodles of Aliens and stuff. I just thought wow if Naru got saddled with him ofr an assistant.  
**

**www. youtube. com/ watch? v = B ks De YM lb Mo & feature = related **

**en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ The_ Red_ Shoes_ % 28 fairy_ tale % 29**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please excuse the bad grammar and typeos  


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**Chapter 3**

It had been a month since Mai had left and gone to New York. Naru was miserable. Not only because he realized how much he loved her and that she was now in another country, but also because the new assistant was driving him and everyone else crazy.

Hurricane Sonny as he had been dubbed by everyone. He was a slob. He was lazy. He had no focus except when it dealt with aliens. Why did Naru keep him around? Well the sad truth is that no one wants to work for a paranormal research company. Naru had called the agency and Sonny Joon was the only one willing to work for him. Apparently Naru also had a reputation of being a cold hearted boss and that too scared people away.

The day Mai stormed out was the beginning of Naru's problems. No matter how many times Naru yelled at Sonny he was never phased. He always tried to serve Naru some concoction. Naru had order Sonny to make him tea and as soon as Naru sipped it he was seeing talking furniture and dancing pineapples.

Naru pulled out an album that Mai had made for him on their anniversary. It had pictures of the two of them together. Naru missed everything about Mai. Her sweet smell. Her cute laugh. The way she scrunched her face up when she got mad at him. The way she would pout. He missed the touch of her lips and holding her in his arms. Naru couldn't figure out what his problem was. He could have been nicer he could have let her have both. He could have worked hard to support her dream as she had supported his. He was an ass.

There was a loud bang from the kitchen area. Naru got up to see what had happened. Smoke filled the air. The rest of the SPR team coughed and plugged their noses at the putrid smell. Sonny always did give off a rather odd smell, but this was worse. Naru look at Sonny who had painted his face green and was wearing foil.

"I… You… you know what I don't care and I don't want to know." He turned and slumped back into his office.

He was quickly followed by the rest of the SPR team. Naru looked confused.

"Why are you all in my office?" he asked coolly.

"You have to get rid of him!" Masako was the first to say.

"What?" Naru looked at all the anxious faces surrounding him.

"Naru, listen to me. He has to go." Lin said.

"Well there is no one else to take the job so he has to stay." Naru said opening another file and writing something down.

"He smells." Yasuhara said.

"He is a slob." Masako continued.

"He is a walking disaster waiting to happen." Ayako said.

"He listens to weird music." Monk said.

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

"And what's with the foil?" Masako asked.

"Trying to make contact with the aliens." Said John.

Everyone turned to look at him. "John? That's so unlike you." Ayako said.

"What? That's what he said. I asked him and he said he was trying to make contact with the aliens." He explained.

"And do you recall that thing he made you drink? Remember what happened. And he basically blew something up in the microwave! He has to go!" Ayako screamed.

"What do suppose I do? No one else will work here." Naru said getting irritated because he knew they were right.

Everyone was quiet. They looked at each other trying to figure out which one should do the talking. They huddled together and then pushed Yasuhara forward.

"Ask Mai to come back to work for you part time when she returns." Yasuhara took on the defensive pose as if he were expecting Naru to throw something at him.

"I tried." Naru said quietly.

"What?" everyone said and shuffled closer to him.

"What do you mean you tried?" Lin asked

"She said no?" Yasuhara asked. "why didn't you tell us this?" Yasuhara said looking at Monk and Ayako.

"We didn't know. Mai didn't tell us. Why didn't she tell you and Masako?" Ayako said defensively.

"I've tried calling her and she refuses to answer. I tried to emailing her, but I don't get a reply. I screwed up." Naru said as he placed his head in his hands and groaned.

Everyone looked at each other again. Naru looked up to catch this. "What? There's more?"

"Well umm there's something that you should know… Mai sort of has a new boyfriend." Yasuhara resumed his defensive position.

"I see." No one like the way Naru said those two words. "Lin I'm leaving it to you to find a way to fire Mr. Joon. I'm leaving for the rest of the day."

Naru got up and walked out the door. Everyone now turned their attention to Lin who had to task of getting rid of Sonny.

"So long Hurricane Sonny." Yasuhara said out loud.

* * *

**Later that night. **

Naru had walked for hours thinking about what to do now. He had lost Mai to someone else. He walked back home and fell asleep in an armchair.

"_Noll… Noll…." Naru heard his named called out. _

"_Gene? Is that you?" Naru looked at his brother standing in front of him. _

"_You need to go after her." Gene told him. _

"_What do you mean?" Naru was confused. He had had a rough month. His thinking skills were shot. All he had been doing was thinking about Mai._

"_Wow you're slow today. Well I guess that's understandable. Go to New York and grovel. Maybe Mai will forgive you. I'm sure if you cry too she won't slam the door in your face, but that's not the main reason why you have to go." Gene explained. _

"_Then what is it? I'm tired of people beating around the bush. Just tell me!" Naru was losing is patience._

"_Mai is in danger. The darkness that surrounds her is growing stronger. This ballet is not what it seems and if you don't hurry Mai won't make it to opening night." Gene said in a very serious tone. _

"_Does she know? Have you warned her?" Naru asked. The woman he loved was in danger. _

"_She does not know. I haven't been able to warn her. Something is blocking me. She and I have lost the connection that allowed us to communicate. She is ignoring her spiritual side. She seems to want nothing to do with her powers. She does not realize in ignoring her abilities she making herself more vulnerable." Gene explained._

"_She never mentioned it to anyone. Why would she want to ignore her abilities?" Naru asked. "How long has this been going on?"_

"_For about a year. As the darkness grew stronger so did its hold over her. She has been experiencing things, but lies about it to everyone including you. She must have thought that if she ignored it things would lessen over time, but we both know that's not how it works." _

_Naru was stunned by this news. He should have known. Mai was a light in the distance to spirits, good and bad. She had no training. He had thought that it was nothing more than her dreams and intuition, but how quickly he forgot about what had happed to Katsumi. Mai had killed him. She had used an enormous amount of energy and killed Katsumi. No one talked about it. Mai went to therapy and assured everyone it was fine, but she still did not like to think about the night Katsumi and Gene died. Tadashi was in jail and the public version was that Katsumi had been struck by lightning. _

_Naru saw the scene change. He looked around saw he was on a stage in a black abyss. Her heard Mai's humming and saw her twirl into view. She froze and started to pull at her hair. _

"_No.. No.. No.. Don't come back. Please leave me alone. Don't come any closer!" She started softly and then her hysteria grew to shrieks and heavy sobs. Naru could see what she was talking to. He could reach her. Every time he tried he found them reversed and he was back where he started from. _

_Mai began to scream. A scream that made Naru die a little. The stage was consumed by the darkness. _

"_Mai! Mai where are you!" Naru shouted. The light came back and what was left of Mai were her now crimson ballet slippers. He followed the trail of blood. The room changed. He walked through elegant double doors into an auditorium. He stood in the aisle. _

"_Please take a seat the show will be starting soon." Mai's cheerful voice sang out. _

_Naru did as the she instructed. The happy music, almost like carousel music, began and the curtain rose. Mai's limp body stood there. He costume stained with blood that dripped from her mouth. Her eyes wide open, but they looked as if they were dead. Naru realized that she was attached to stings like a human marionette. Mai's body began to dance as she was twirled around. She finished her number and the curtain fell. Naru jumped up from his seat and pulled back the curtain and walked to the dark back stage. _

"_Mai." He called to her again. He felt like he was in some kind of a maze. He finally made his way to another room. Mai was up against the wall with the rest of the puppets. Naru quickly made his way to her. "Mai! Speak to me. Are you hurt? I'm going to get you out of here don't worry." _

"_Why would I worry? I like it here. I get to dance." Mai said her face showed no expression her mouth moving like that of a puppet being manipulated. Naru reached in his pockets and pulled out a pocket knife and cut the strings attached to Mai. He caught her as she fell forward. He kneelled down with her. She was now on her knees facing him. Her tulle skirt spread out around her. Her face still held no expression. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders. She looked like a perfect china doll. She cocked her head to the side. _

"_Do you hear that?" she said softly. _

"_Hear what?" Naru asked he strained to listen. He soon heard the cries of a baby in the distance. "A baby?" he said and looked at her. _

"_Must be time for dinner. It is very hungry. It hasn't had an opportunity like this in a long time." Mai said as the blood began to trickle from her mouth and eyes. Like tears. _

"_Mai!" Naru yelled in horror. The blood began to come from the top of her head and soon it ran down her arms and torso. Naru reached for her, but as he grasped her in his arms she changed into a mannequin and then all that was left were the crimson slippers. _

_Naru stared at them in horror. He turned his attention now to the crying of the baby. This thing was going to each this child. Naru got up and ran towards the sound. _

_He found himself in a large room. There was a bassinette in the middle. He walked towards it and looked inside. He reached in and picked up the crying child. He baby stopped crying almost immediately and drifted off to sleep. He walked quickly down the corridors and found himself in another room. Mai was there again. It looked like a bedroom of some sorts. She sat in front of the large elegant vanity brushing her long beautiful hair. She was in a silk negligee with a matching robe. It came to above her knees. _

_As soon as Naru had seen the child he knew instantly whose baby it was. It was his and Mai's. This thing wanted to eat his child. _

"_Mai I have the baby. We need to get out of here." Naru told her. She stopped brushing her hair and gave him a confused look. _

"_That's not my baby." Mai turned back to the mirror. _

"_It is your baby, it's our baby and as its parents we have to protect it." Naru told her. _

"_If it was my baby I would remember it. Seeing that I don't that means it's not mine." She said coolly. _

_Naru shoved the baby in her arms. The action awoke the sleeping child and it began to cry. Mai held the child away from her body and had a strained mixed with horrified look on her face. _

"_Take it! Just make it stop!" She cried out. Naru took the child back quickly where it was content in his arms. Mai clutched at her body and went over to the bed and began to clutch at her head. _

"_No more… No more crying… No more screams.. I can't listen to them anymore!" she cried. _

_Naru went to comfort her, but the room went dark again and when the lights came back on the baby was gone and Mai was dead. Her body lie on the bed with a giant knife stuck into her chest. The bloody baby blanket draped on her. Naru ran to her and upon closer examination he saw the red shoes once again on her feet. _

_Naru was falling now. He found himself at the feet of Gene. _

"_Gene? What the hell was that?" Naru asked his voice cracking. He clutched at his head as if he was trying to shake the images from his mind. _

"_That was sign of what's to come for yours and Mai's future. The whole future that is years away, but it also had hints pertaining to the present threat. That is why you must go now and save Mai!" Gene told him._

Naru awoke with a start and looked around his apartment. He was in the same armchair he had fallen asleep in. He went to his computer and booked a flight to New York and began to pack his bags.

* * *

**Ok so that was a little peek into the things to come. The dream foreshadows different things into the future, but also keeping with the theme of the present. I realized that Naru has to redeem himself. I didn't intend to make such an ass, but I can at least make him better and make up for it. Hope you like it and keep reading. Please review.**

**Just clear things up so you don't get confused. Mai is NOT pregnant. There will be no children in this story, but i can say there will be in the future... Ok i can't ruin anything else. I always make people ruin the surprised for me by telling me everything. I won't let that ruin things for you guys. You will have to read the others when they come out.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Ghost Hunt.

* * *

**

**Chapter 4 **

**Mai in New York. **

Mai was at a loss for words as she walked through the gate and into JFK. She had never been in an airport do large. She probably would have gotten herself lost if it hadn't been for the representative they had sent for her. She could speak English, but it was one thing when you're in class and another when your in a country where majority of the population is clueless about Japanese and will probably ask if you are Chinese even though they are two different countries with different cultures. (But similar in some ways)

Mai looked around and saw a sign with her name. A woman was standing dressed in business attire waiting for her. Mai grabbed her bag and made her way towards the woman.

"Umm hi, I'm Mai Taniyama." She bowed to her.

"Oh hello, I'm Dr. Amelia Lee. I'm will be your guide for your stay." She bowed in return. "Do you have other bags with you?" she asked.

"Ah yes, but I have no clue where to go." Mai looked around at the swarms of people.

"Oh just follow me and we can go get them." They walked to the baggage claim and Mai retrieved the rest of her luggage. They made their way to the town car and chauffer that was waiting for them. As they rode Mai found herself staring up at the skyscrapers.

"I would like to go over a few things with you. You will be staying in a hotel close to the theatre where you will have rehearsals. There are actually twi shows you will be doing. The first will be the musical Cinderella. That will be at the end of this month. Next will be the Showcase's revival of the Red Shoes. The final show is a new ballet by Cooper Nielson. You will be the lead in both"

"Wait what?" Mai caught that part. "I thought it was only the Red Shoes?"

"Oh no. You are the star of the whole Summer Showcase. The proceeds all go to charity. Cinderella goes to the Make A Wish Foundation, The Red Shoes to the victims of physical and sexual abuse"

"Well I guess I can do it. Only a month for each. That's not bad." Mai tried to reassure herself. They reached the hotel and Mai looked up at the luxurious building. "wow." Was all Mai could utter.

They walked inside and she looked around and again could only utter the word "wow." Next, to her room where she was again stunned. She ran and to the balcony and threw open the windows and screamed. "Hello NEW YORK!" the pigeons fluttered away. Next, she ran to the set of doors the led to bedroom and flopped down on to the king size bed. She got up and ran to the bathroom and sat in the huge tube that could fit a sumo wrestler.

"I'll leave you to settle in." Amelia, as she had told Mai to call her, left the room. The thrill of the room soon wore off and Mai realized she was all alone. She hated it. She was bored, scared, sick, and yet excited. She began to feel homesick and wanted her SPR family. Mai picked up the phone and called Ayako.

"Hello?' Ayako answered. Mai burst into tears.

"Come here please!" Mai sobbed.

"Mai? Honey what's wrong?' Ayako tried to soothe her.

"It's so nice and beautiful here." Mai cried some more.

"And that's a problem?" Ayako asked sounding confused.

"Yes because I miss everyone and I want to share this with you guys. I want you guys to see me perform. I can't do this without you guys!" she sobbed some more.

"Mai I can get on that plane this second and be there before you know it, but is that really what you want? I know you can do this. You don't need us. You have talent and the spirit to achieve this. If I get on that plane, what will that prove?"

Mai had begun to calm down. "I guess you have a point. If you come now, I'll never be able to prove that I can be on my own again."

"We'll all come out to see you in the Red Shoes and stay till the end of the showcase how about that?" Ayako told her.

"That sounds good, but what do I do till then? The rest of the cast will be in the dorms and they don't move in for a few days? They gave me this hotel suite." Mai went on to describe the place and she and Ayako reached a decision. Mai said goodbye and then picked up the phone and called Amelia.

"Hi Amelia? I have something I would like to ask?"

* * *

**A few days later.**

Mai was now moving into the dorms. She didn't want to be all alone. She needed to be with her peers. Everyone was moving in that day. The dorms were like little apartments. Very nice. Mai got to know everyone fast. A few people were snarky towards her, but for the most part everyone was very accepting. There were performers from all over the world. The Summer Showcase was using performing arts students from different countries. They bonded pretty fast.

Mai was walking down the hall with large stack of papers that she had volunteers to pass out. She couldn't really see where she was going, but she saw by the passing rooms that she seemed to be going in the right direction. That's when it happened. She almost missed running into someone and ran smack right into a pole. **(I have done that and didn't have the excuse of not being able to see, I was trying to text….) **

The papers went flying and Mai fell backwards. "Ow!" Mai rubbed her head as she was helped up by the person she had just avoided a collision with.

"Are you ok? We should probably get you to a doctor." The male voice said.

"No its fine. I've hit my head way worse than this before…" She said rubbing the bruise that was now forming on her forehead. She looked up into beautiful violet eyes and golden hair. Perfect golden hair that shone like the sun. Mai must have been staring and slightly drooling. To make it worse she said "Tamaki?"

"No… Are you sure you don't need a doctor?" Mai began to focus and realized what an idiot she looked like just then.

"Oh I'm sorry…" she then focused her attention to the papers scattered everywhere. "OH NO! The schedules!" Mai scurried and tried to gather them up.

"Here let me help you!" he helped her pick up the papers. There was one paper left and they both reached for it. His hand over hers. "Oh sorry. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Luke Wilks. You must be the famous Mai Taniyama."

"Oh I wouldn't call myself famous. I'm really nobody…" Mai began to blush and stammer. She realized Luke was blushing too.

"I think a few could argue that. You are the star of the showcase. Your face is plastered all over the city." He smiled at her.

"WHAT?" Mai panicked. "When…. How?"

"Well was it from your portfolio? Or a photo shoot?" He asked her.

"I don't recall a photo shoot…."

"Here let me help."

And that was the beginning of Luke and Mai.

* * *

**First Rehearsal **

Mai thought about yesterday. She thought about the guy she had called Tamaki. "How embarrassing!" she thought to herself. He was really nice. He helped her hand out the schedule and then offered to walk her to her room.

Mai walked into one of the rehearsal rooms and was greeted by her friends. They were all early. Everyone soon started to fill in. They stretched out and waited for the director. There were so many people, Mai didn't know them all.

The director came in and began to talk. He then called for his leads to step forward. "Miss Mai Taniyama and Mr. Luke Wilks." They both stood up and walk to the director. "You two have to task of getting to know each other and for this show to be a success there must be chemistry."

_"Well I have an idea…" Luke walked to Mai and dipped her back and kissed her. Mai who hadn't been paying attention, squawked. She was soon swept away with touch of Luke's lips and arms. "My Cinderella." _

"Mai, would you like to say a few words?" the director asked her, forcing Mai to come back to reality.

"Oh… I'm very honored to be given this chance. I promise to work very hard and not let you down." She bowed.

Their first rehearsal went well they stretched and warmed up and then went through different exercises to get to know everyone. Mai and a few girls on her floor walked towards the doors. Luke ran to catch up with them.

"Hey, would you guys like to go sight seeing sometime?" he asked them.

"Sure." they all said at the same time. The rest of the girls left Mai to be alone with Luke.

"So do you like Cinderella?" he asked her blushing and looking at his feet slightly.

"Yeah. I love all fairy tales. Even the scary ones." _Maybe I shouldn't have said that… _Mai thought to herself.

"That's cool. So do you want to get some coffee?" He asked her.

_Ok Mai be cool. Just answer in that cool manner. You're an actress you can do this. _"Ok!" Mai giggled excitedly.

"Really? Then lets go." He smiled and took her arms as they went off to the coffee shop.

Mai felt comfortable with Luke that she ended up telling him all about her. With the exception of her difficult past, but she told him about her job at SPR and about her cats and dog and her friends and she slightly brought up Naru.

Time went by fast before Mai knew it was close to opening night. She and Luke were dating. Something felt off though. Mai couldn't figure it out. She remembered feeling like this before when something big was about to happen. She tried to shake it. She didn't want to feel this way and so she pushed those thoughts far from her and went on with her business.

She walked down the street. She had learned that everyone left New York on the weekends and what was left were tourist. Which is what she considered herself to be.

As Mai walked something caught her eye. She turned quickly to see a slight glimpse of Gene. Almost as if had just been a hallucination. Mai turned and saw him again up ahead, but then he was gone again.

"Gene…" Mai started to walk faster and then run to the spot. She knew she had seen him. She couldn't have been imagining it, but why had he come to there and not in her dream**s?

* * *

**

**So i'm making things speed up because i want to get back to Mai and Naru time. I know this whole Mai and Luke thing seems a little corny, but i thought it would be cute and a change to see. Please Review.** Hoped you liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Sorry i put the lyrics for the songs on here. There are a lot. I thought it would help with the fact that she was in a musical. I had to watch a lot of Cinderella videos on youtube to get this stuff. The story will get sadder and more romance will be coming don't worry. It should be about 20 chapters. Also i don't own Cinderella. If you like you can skip the lyrics.  


* * *

**

**Chapter 5**

Mai's sighting of Gene was unsettling to her. She had been ignoring her abilities, but it wasn't her intention to shut Gene out as well. Mai didn't want to focus on that though. She was busy with the show and sight seeing with her new friends.

"This is so amazing." Mai said as she stood by the railing and looked up at the Statue of Liberty. Luke was holding a tour guide book. Amelia came forward.

"Certainly is a sight to see isn't it? When immigrants would come on ships to Ellis Island in hopes of a better life. It was a symbol to them of the hopes and dreams they place on this new beginning."

They went everywhere. They visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They went to the United Nations building. Mai was eager to do some shopping. She hadn't brought that much with her because she had known she would want to buy so many things.

"Mai everyone wants to go to China town." Luke called to her.

"Ok just let me checkout out." Mai called back.

They left the store and made their way to China town. It would have been a fun experience except as Mai predicted. Several different people asked if she was Chinese and she would politely say that she was Japanese.

They returned to the dorms and Mai had to figure out where to store all her purchases. They had their final rehearsal and then all was left was the opening.

* * *

**Opening Night**

Mai was pacing. She was so nervous. She had never performed in front of this many people and for something this important. She was starting to feel sick.

"Break a leg, Mai." Liz told her. She lived across the hall and was playing one of the step sisters. She was far from being anything like an ugly step sister, she was more like Mai's fairy godmother.

"What?" Mai said her voice squeak from her nerves.

"Its theatre talk for good luck." Liz smiled at her.

"Oh.. that's right.. I knew that." Mai laughed nervously.

Mai walked to the stage. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes. She was in her zone now. The calmness swept over her and she was ready. She knew she could do this. The orchestra began to play the Overture.

* * *

**Cinderella**

**Cinderella:**  
The Sweetest Sounds, Ill ever hear  
are still inside my head  
The Kindest Words Ill ever know  
are waiting to be said  
The most entrancing sight of all  
is yet for me to see...  
and the dearest love in all the world  
is waiting somewhere for me  
is waiting somewhere... somewhere for me.

**Prince:**  
The sweetest sounds Ill ever hear  
are still inside my head  
The Kindest Words Ill ever know  
are waiting to be said

The most entrancing sight of all  
is yet for me to see...  
and the dearest love in all the world  
is waiting somewhere for me  
is waiting somewhere... somewhere for me.

**Prince:**  
The Sweetest Sounds Ill ever hear

**Cinderella (in counterpoint):**  
The Sweetest Sounds Ill ever hear  
are still inside my head

**Cinderella:**  
The kindest words Ill ever hear

**Prince (in counterpoint)**:  
The kindest words Ill ever hear  
are waiting to be said

**Prince:**  
The most, entrancing sight of all  
is yet for me to see!

**Cinderella:**  
The most, entrancing sight of all  
is yet for me to see!

**Both:**  
And the dearest love in all the world

**Prince :**  
is waiting somewhere for me

**Cinderella:**  
(echoing) waiting somewhere...

**Prince :**  
Is waiting somewhere...

* * *

Mai danced in the scene "The Prince is Giving a Ball." Now she was on to her next song.

**Cinderella:**  
I'm as mild and as meek as a mouse  
When I hear a command I obey.  
But I know of a spot in my house  
Where no one can stand in my way.

In my own little corner in my own little chair  
I can be whatever I want to be.  
On the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere  
And the world will open its arms to me.

I'm a young Norwegian princess or a milkmaid  
I'm the greatest prima donna in Milan  
I'm an heiress who has always had her silk made  
By her own flock of silkworms in Japan

I'm a girl men go mad for love's a game I can play with  
Cool and confident kind of air.  
Just as long as I stay in my own little corner  
All alone in my own little chair.

I can be whatever I want to be.

I'm a slave from Calcutta I'm a queen in Peru.  
I'm a mermaid dancing upon the sea  
I'm a huntress on an African safari.. i  
It's a dangerous type of sport and yet it's fun

In the night I sally forth to seek my quarry  
And I find I forgot to bring my gun.  
I am lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed  
When I meet a lioness in her lair

Then I'm glad to be back in my own little corner,  
All alone in my own little chair.

* * *

Then she was now in the scene with her fairy godmother.

**Fairy Godmother:** Cinderella?  
**Cinderella: **Who are you?  
**Fairy Godmother**: I'm your fairy godmother.  
**Cinderella:** How beautiful you are.  
**Fairy Godmother: **I'm made of all of your most beautiful hopes and dreams and wishes.  
**Cinderella: **Oh, Fairy godmother,  
I have only one wish just now... to go to the ball... and I know it is impossible.  
**Fairy Godmother:** Impossible? Bah, what's a fairy godmother for?  
**Cinderella:** To make my wish come true?  
**Fairy Godmother:** If you wish it hard enough.  
Now let me see you'll need a coach, and four horses, and a coachman, and a groom.  
**Cinderella:** Is it possible to get those things by wishing for them?  
**Fairy Godmother:** Well, the sensible people of this world will say

(sung) Fol-de-rol and fiddle dee dee  
and fiddley faddley foddle all the wishes in the world are poppy cock and twoddle.

**Cinderella:** (spoken) Aren't they?  
**Fairy Godmother:** Not always. The sensible people will also say (sung)  
Fol-de-rol and fiddle dee dee and fiddley faddley foodle all the dreamers  
in the world are dizzy in the noodle.  
**Cinderella:** (spoken) And aren't they?  
**Fairy Godmother:** Not always, especially when there is someone who loves you to help you.  
Now, to work. For a coach I believe  
I see a pumpkin over there- that'll do very nicely.  
**Cinderella:** A pumpkin?  
**Fairy Godmother:** I see you have four pet mice in a cage..  
they'll do very nicely for the horses  
**Cinderella:** Mice? For horses?  
**Fairy Godmother:** Mm hmm..  
Now let me see, something's peering at us from under that shrub,  
oh yes, it's a fine fat rat with whiskers,  
and his brother they'll do very nicely for the coachman and the groom.  
**Cinderella:** Oh, dear Fairy Godmother it all seems so impossible!

(Sung)  
**Fairy Godmother:** Impossible for a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage.  
Impossible for a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage.  
And four white mice will never be four white horses.  
Such fol-de-rol and fiddle dee dee of courses. Impossible!  
But the world is full of zanies and fools who don't believe in sensible rules  
and won't believe what sensible people say..  
and because these daft and dewey eyed dopes keep building up impossible  
hopes impossible things are happening every day!  
**Cinderella**: Impossible!  
**Fairy Godmother**: Impossible!  
**Cinderella:** Impossible!  
**Fairy Godmother**: Impossible!  
**Cinderella: **And remember how very very hard I am wishing!  
**Fairy Godmother:** Impossible for a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage..  
Impossible for a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage.  
And four white mice will never be four white horses..  
**Cinderella:** They will!  
**Fairy Godmother: **Such fol-de rol and fiddle dee dee of courses Impossible!  
**Cinderella:** But the world is full of zanies and fools who don't believe in sensible rules  
and won't believe what sensible people say  
**Both:** And because these daft and dewey eyed dopes keep building up impossible  
hopes impossible things are happening every day.

(spoken)  
**Fairy Godmother:** Look!  
**Cinderella:** Oh, oh, it is a golden coach,  
and four white horses and a coachman and a groom.  
**Fairy Godmother:** You are going to the ball  
**Cinderella:** Oh, oh my clothes  
**Fairy Godmother:** Oh dear of course how thoughtless of me. THERE!  
**Cinderella:** Oh Fairy Godmother how beautiful! I am dressed like a princess.  
**Fairy Godmother:** And here are your slippers.  
**Cinderella:** They're made of glass  
**Fairy Godmother:** Put them on  
**Cinderella:** They fit perfectly!  
**Fairy Godmother:** Now! You are ready for the ball.  
But there is one thing you must remember.  
You must leave before the stroke of midnight, for the magic will last no longer.  
**Cinderella: ** I will remember. Oh fairy godmother how wonderful it all is!

(sung)  
**Cinderella:** It's possible for a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage.  
It's possible for a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage.  
**Fairy Godmother:** And four white mice are easily turned to horses  
Such fal de rah and fiddle dee dee of courses Quite possible!  
**Both: **It's possible!  
**Cinderella:** For the world is full of zanies  
and fools who don't believe in sensible rules  
and won't believe what sensible people say  
**Both: **And because these daft and dewey eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes  
Impossible things are happening every day.  
**Cinderella:** It's possible  
**Fairy Godmother:** It's possible  
**Cinderella:** It's possible  
**Fairy Godmother: **It's possible  
**Cinderella:** It's possible  
**Fairy Godmother:** It's possible  
**Both:** It's possible!

* * *

Mai's favorite scene was coming up, when she goes to the Ball.

**Prince:** Ten minutes ago,  
I saw you I looked up when you came through the door my head started reeling  
you gave me the feeling the room had no ceiling or floor.  
Ten minutes ago, I met you, and we murmured our how do you dos  
I wanted to ring out the bells and fling out my arms and sing out the news.  
I have found her, she's an angel, with the dust of the stars in her eyes.  
We are dancing, we are flying, and she's taking me back to the skies!  
In the arms of my love, I'm flying, over mountain and meadow and glen.  
And I like it so well that for all I can tell I may never come down again.  
I may never come down to earth again.

**Cinderella:** Ten minutes ago, I saw you.  
You looked up when I came through the door.  
My head started reeling you gave me the feeling the room had no ceiling or floor.  
Ten minutes ago I met you and we murmured our how do you dos.  
I wanted to ring out the bells and fling out my arms and to sing out the news.

**Prince: **I have found her.  
**Cinderella:** I have found him, he's the light of the stars in my eyes.  
**Prince:** We are dancing  
**Cinderella:** We are flying  
**Prince:** And she's taking me back to the skies  
**Cinderella:** In the arms of my love, I'm flying over mountain and meadow and glen.  
**Prince:** And I like it so well that for all I can tell I may never come down again.  
**Both:** I may never come down to earth again.

* * *

Being twirled around the stage by her Prince was the greatest feeling on earth. His dark blue eyes and raven hair. _Wait Luke is blond with violet eyes._ The entire show she hadn't realized that she had been picture Naru as her prince and not Luke. Mai didn't have time to think this over, she had to finish the show.

**Prince: **  
Do I love you because you're beautiful,  
or are you beautiful because I love you?  
Am I making believe I see in you a girl too lovely to be really true?  
Do I want you because you're wonderful,  
or are you wonderful because I want you?  
Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream  
or are you really as beautiful as you seem?  
**  
Cinderella:**  
Am I making believe I see in you a man too perfect to be really true?  
Do I want you because you're wonderful,  
or are you wonderful because I want you?

**Both:**  
Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream  
or are you really as wonderful as you seem?

* * *

Mai was doing it again. She was seeing Naru singing to her and not Luke. She was going to drive herself insane, again!

**Cinderella:** I imagine.. I imagine..  
When you're driving through the moonlight  
on a highway when through the moonlight to a dance you are breathless with  
a wild anticipation of adventure and excitement and romance  
Then at last you see the towers of the palace silhouetted  
on the sky above the park and below them is a row of lighted  
windows like a lovely diamond necklace in the dark  
**Esmeralda:** It looks that way  
**Prunella:** The way you say  
**Evil Stepmother:** She talks as if she knows.  
**Cinderella:** I do not know these things are so I only just suppose  
I suppose that when you come into the ballroom  
and the room itself is floating on the air If you're suddenly confronted  
by his highness you are frozen like a statue on the stair.  
You're afraid he'll hear the way your heart is beating  
and you know you mustn't make the first advance.  
You are seriously thinking of retreating then you seem to hear him asking you to dance  
You make a bow, a timid bow, and shyly answer yes  
**Evil Stepmother:** How would you know that this is so?  
**Cinderella:** I do no more than guess, I do no more than guess  
**Cinderella:** He is tall  
**Esmeralda:** And straight as a lance  
**Cinderella:** His eyes  
**Prunella:** Can melt you with a glance  
**Cinderella:** Yes I can picture the whole thing how you start thinking  
**Esmeralda:** Start thinking what?  
**Cinderella:** Thinking how wonderful it all is  
**Evil Stepmother:** How wonderful what all is?  
**Cinderella:** Everything  
**Evil Stepmother:** Enough of this nonsense.  
Esmeralda, Prunella, upstairs both of you and get your sleep  
**Esmeralda+ Prunella**: Yes ma'am  
**Evil Stepmother:** Cinderella, here is your broom GET TO WORK!  
**Cinderella:** I don't mind sweeping.  
This night is mine and no one and nothing can take it from me.

**Fairy Godmother:**

Someone wants you, you know who  
Now you're living, there's music in you.  
Now you're hearing, something new  
Someone's playing the music in you.  
Now you're living, you know why  
Now there's nothing, you won't try...  
Move a mountain, light the sky  
Make a wish come true, there is music in you.

**Cinderella:**  
Now you can go wherever you want to go  
Now you can do whatever you want to do  
Now you can be whatever you want to be  
And love is the song you'll sing your whole life through...

Oh, Move a mountain, light the sky  
Make a wish come true  
There is music in you!  
In you...

Now you're living, you know why  
Now there's nothing, you won't try...  
Move a mountain, light the sky  
Make a wish come true, there is music in you.  
Now you can go wherever you want to go  
Now you can do whatever you want to do  
Now you can be whatever you want to be  
And love is the song you'll sing your whole life through...

Oh, Move a mountain, light the sky  
Make a wish come true  
There is music in you!  
In you!

The curtain fell and now for the finish.

**Prince: **  
Do I love you because you're beautiful,  
or are you beautiful because I love you?  
Am I making believe I see in you a girl too lovely to be really true?  
Do I want you because you're wonderful,  
or are you wonderful because I want you?  
Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream  
or are you really as beautiful as you seem?  
**  
Cinderella:**  
Am I making believe I see in you a man too perfect to be really true?

**Both:**  
Do I want you because you're wonderful,  
or are you wonderful because I want you?

* * *

She had done it. Mai had finished the show successfully. Mai was going to have to deal with her Prince later. She must still have feelings for Naru. She couldn't help it.

They made their way to the cast party and she danced with Luke. They were talking and he was teasing her playfully. Mai scrunched up her face in annoyance.

"I love it when you do that." He told her.

"Do what?" Mai asked.

"When you scrunch your face up like that when you get annoyed." He laughed.

"I happen to think its cute also." A cool voice said from behind them. Mai whipped around and there stood Naru.

"Naru?" She yelled in shock.

* * *

**Sorry about all the lyrics. I thought it would help. I didn't mean for it to be this long. Hope you liked it. Please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Naru?" Mai's mouth was hanging open as she stared at her ex boyfriend and boss.

"Mai, you should really close your mouth." Naru said coolly and then flashed her one of those smiles that makes her turn into a puddle of goo.

"Naru? Hey, is this the dumb ass ex boyfriend of your from Japan?" Luke asked.

Everyone was staring at them. Mai could hear them whispering.

"That's Mai's ex?"

"Wow, he's hot!"

"Did he come all this way for her?"

"How does she get two hot guys and I get none?"

"Hey do you think there's going to be a fight?"

"Oooo who do you think will win?"

"Luke knows better than to get into a fight."

"Yeah, he could get hurt and then be out of the show."

"Mai, we need to talk." Naru said.

"No way! I don't know why you're here, but please leave." Mai turned her back to him like a true diva.

"Mai, don't act like that. This is important." Naru began to move forward, but was blocked by a few cast members.

"If she doesn't want to talk she doesn't have to." said a girl.

"Yeah, this is a cast party so leave." A guy told him.

Naru could see this was not going to be easy. Good thing he anticipated this and had planned accordingly. Well kind of….

Bang! Everyone turned to the double doors that led into the ballroom. There stood Peter. He looked out of breath. "Hey everyone Jeffrey Seller is out in the lobby as we speak! I found out he's staying in room 323! He's producing a new show!" he said. **(Jeffery Seller is a well known Broadway producer. I needed a name so I decided to google.)**

Almost as if someone as shouted fire, everyone dropped everything and ran to the lobby or to the elevators and stairs. Luke got swept away in the crowd.

Mai stared in horror as the hordes of people ran past her. She felt two strong arms grab her and pull her out of the room into a small hallway. Mai looked up and saw that it was Naru.

"We need to talk." He said.

"I don't want to talk." Mai tried to walk off, but Naru pulled her back.

"It's important." He repeated.

"You said that already and I still don't care." Mai wasn't making eye contact. She couldn't look into those blue eyes without blushing. After what she had done during the show, imagining Naru as the Prince and forgetting it was Luke.

"Mai, I love you and I was wrong." He said softly to her. Mai turned her head and looked deep into Naru's eyes. She saw that he was truly sincere and then she began to blush.

"Awww damn it!" Mai whined. Naru had let go of her arm.

"Excuse me?" Naru looked at her confused.

"You! You do this every single time!"

"Do what?"

"The look and the sincerity and those eyes and that smile. We fight and then you apologize like that and of course I just can't say no." Mai was now resting her head against the wall.

"Mai.." Naru began again.

"No! Not listening! LALALALALALALA…." Mai put her fingers in her ears and had her eyes closed.

"Mai! Stop being immature!" Naru was getting annoyed.

"LALALALALALA!" Mai continued as Naru began to talk again.

"Mai! I-"

"LALALALA" again as Naru tried to talk.

Naru opened his opened his mouth to speak.

"LALALA!"

He tried again was cut off again by Mai's lalas.

Naru lost his temper again and he began to shout. He tried to shout louder than Mai, but that resulted in a scene. Going something like this:

"MAI! THIS IS WHY WE ALWAYS FIGHT! I'M TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSTATION WITH YOU!

All while Mai continued with her "LALALALALA!"

Peter came back and had stood there unnoticed watching them. He was amused by this. "Oh Gene, you are the greatest matchmaker ever" Peter began to laugh.

Mai and Naru turned to notice him standing in the hallway.

"Peter?" Mai looked up at him. He stopped laughing and bowed to her like a gentleman. "So why are you here?"

"Well that is an interesting story…."

* * *

**Flashback **

Naru realized he was going to need help to get backstage of the Showcase. There was one person he knew could help. He picked up the phone and called Peter.

"Hello?" Peter answered.

"Hi." Naru said with no emotion.

"Noll! I heard about Mai dumping you. You are stupid. Oh well now I get my turn at least."

"Look I need your help. You're parents do stuff for that Showcase thing right?" Naru asked.

"The New York Summer Showcase. Yeah, their out there right now. They are on the board of directors. I see what you're planning."

"What am I planning?" Naru said.

"You want me to get you into the showcase so you can make up with Mai because she won't talk to you and you miss her."

"Can you do it?" Naru asked.

"Of course. I'm leaving as we speak for New York. I always fly out to see the performances."

"My flight leaves in the morning. I already booked a hotel." Naru gave Peter his information so that they could meet up.

* * *

**In New York**

Naru had made it to New York and was in his grand hotel room. He was putting on his tux and heading down to the lobby to meet with Peter and his parents.

He saw Peter hitting on two girls. Naru came up behind him and cleared his throat.

"Hey Noll! You look great. When Mai sees you she will definitely consider taking you back.

"We should be leaving, don't you think?" Naru said as he scowled darkly scaring off the girls.

They made it to the theatre and took their seats.

"When am I going to see Mai?" Naru asked.

"At the cast party in the ballroom." Peter told him and then the show began.

Naru saw Mai appear of the stage. He was seeing her in person for the first time in a month. His heart fluttered when he saw her and when she began to sing. She was fantastic. He had seen her perform before, but he had never taken in the full effect. He watched her appear in her beautiful gown as she waltzed around the stage and sang. He wished it was him holding her and not that guy playing the Prince.

Naru had to get her back. His life was empty without her. He had to save her. He didn't know what was after her or why it had chosen her, but he wasn't going to let it take her away from him.

The show finished and Naru and Peter made their way back to the hotel. The party wouldn't be starting for sometime and they still needed to plan their course of action. Naru had informed Peter all about his dream and what Gene said.

"Sounds like the curse." Peter said.

"Curse?" Naru asked.

"Yeah. This ballet has been extinct for a reason. The ballet was written for this pretty young ballerina named Victoria Paige. The director of the ballet company was in love with her. But the young composer Julian and Victoria fell in love and were married. The director was furious he told her she would never dance the Red Shoes again. Later Victoria came to visit him and he told her she could dance in the ballet if she wanted to. She lied to Julian, who was now her husband and a famous Opera composer. So as she was getting ready in her dressing room Julian confronted her and threatened to leave her if she danced. She begs him to stay, but he storms out and leaves her. They are leading her to the stage, but she turns and runs to the balcony and throws herself over. Julian sees this and rushes to her body. Her last words, she asked him to take off the red shoes."

"That's why no one does this ballet?" Naru asked.

"Oh there's more." Peter said "So the director goes on stage and announces that she will not be able to perform ever again and that no one will ever perform the Red Shoes, but her. So they do one last performance leaving her part empty."

"So years later the director goes bankrupt and is forced to sell the rights to a bunch of shows including the Red Shoes. He tells them the show should never be performed again, but they ignore him. The first time they tried to perform the show the lead had a heart attack after the show and died. Every time they tried to perform the lead actress would die. Suicide, murder, and accidental."

"So Mai is the first to play the lead in 50 years and every ballerina has died before her." Naru said flatly.

"The Red Shoes was based on this fairy tale where these shoes cause this girl to keep dancing and she can't stop. She eventually asks someone to cut off her legs, but even that doesn't stop them." Peter finished. "So the red ballet slippers were hinting at this curse."

"Well no one has actually proven that it was actually cursed. It seems like it was one of those things concocted by the media. That it was the Red Shoes that led Victoria Paige to commit suicide and that rest of the girls were victims of this curse, but even so Gene warned me so maybe this should be taken more seriously." Naru said.

"What was this talk about the darkness that surrounds Mai?" Peter asked.

"I have a theory, but it's only that." Naru went on "As paranormal researchers we study strange phenomenon. Energy is critical. Looking at this in a scientific manner, Mai has had negative things happen in her life."

"That's an understatement." Peter said.

"Moving on. Energy can neither be created or destroyed it simple changes form. So after time the negative impacts on her life have built up. We see this happen often enough. When we have ghost stories surround a location, but there is no historical evidence to support the urban legends. We gather evidence to support the haunting and the stories though, why is that?" Naru asked.

"Because of the energy of the people who believe in it. Over time the energy gives the story a life of its own. Power of belief." Peter answered.

"Precisely. So someone with Mai's abilities and her past could be an equation for disaster. The dark and horrifying memories take on a life of their own, but if you look at it in a spiritual way. Mai is being haunted by negative spirits intent to cause her harm." Naru finished.

Peter looked down at his watch and realized it was time for them to head to the party. They stopped outside the door that led to the ballroom.

"I need you to be able to come up with a distraction if needed." Naru told Peter.

"As in Mai not wanting to talk to you and her boyfriend getting in your way or them kicking you out. I won't let you down." He saluted Naru.

Naru and Peter entered. Naru went through the crowds looking for Mai. He saw her slow dancing with the guy.

"I love it when you do that." He told her.

"Do what?" Mai asked.

"When you scrunch your face up like that when you get annoyed." He laughed.

"I happen to think its cute also." Naru said.

"Naru?" Mai yelled.

* * *

**So Naru is back and he wants Mai to forgive him. Will their romance be rekindled or is Mai too stubborn?**


	7. Chapter 7

** I don't own Ghost Hunt. OK sorry i've been dragging my feet with the story. I'm trying to figure out how to make it more dramatic and intense. The first few chapters in my opinion were not what they could have been. So I'm trying to improve the story. **

* * *

**Chapter 7

* * *

**

**Back to the present**

"And that is how we managed to be here." Peter finished talking.

"Umm. That was a lot of information." Mai said slowly.

"Look we don't have time for this. We need to have a serious conversation and I suggest we do it somewhere private."

Mai was reluctant to go. She was still hurt by Naru's actions back in Japan and she was not so keen to forgive and forget this time.

"Look Mai, forget about Noll wanting you to take him back for now. Just consider that fact that your life is in danger." Peter told her. He was dead serious right now and that worried Mai. The last time she had seen Peter act like this was when they discovered Katsumi's crimes and he and Gene feared that he would come after Mai.

"Ok we can talk." Mai said quietly. Peter looped his arm around her and led her to the elevators. He and Mai were good friends. There was nothing romantic between. Them Peter just enjoyed joking around.

All three got into the elevator. No one spoke. The awkward silence made Mai feel uncomfortable. She glanced at Naru a few times and when he caught her. She blushed and then scowled.

They made their way to the room that Peter and Naru were staying at. As soon as Peter closed the door. Mai turned to glare at them both.

"Ok so why am I in danger?" Mai continued to glare.

"It's a number of reasons actually." Peter said. He looked at Naru to continue.

"Well for one thing, you can't talk to gene because of you ignoring you abilities and this dark cloud that is around you. When you began to ignore your abilities you made yourself more vulnerable." Naru said.

"We understand that coping with powers and with the other events in your past it hard, but if you ignore them it will only get worse. You like a light in the distance for them. They will always come to you, even if you ignore them they are still there."

Mai was quiet. She looked at her feet now as if she were thinking about something.

"Mai, why did you let it get like this? Why didn't you tell anyone? If you were having trouble we could have helped." Naru asked her.

"Because I don't want to talk about it." Mai made an attempt to leave, but Naru stopped her. He held her hand in his. She stared at it with mixed emotion.

"Mai, that's not good enough. You are going to survive this show if you don't let us in. There's more that we have told you so far." Naru explained.

"Then just tell me already." Mai said.

"Are you aware of this ballets history?" Naru asked her.

"A little. It hasn't been performed for 50 years." Mai said slowly.

"Did you know why this ballet wasn't performed for that long?" Naru asked her.

"No….. because it was forgotten about?" Mai asked.

"Because they were afraid of it." Naru said flat out.

"Wait. What? Why would they be afraid of a ballet?" Mai asked skeptically.

"Because everyone thinks it's cursed." Naru told her. His voice had a bit harshness to it.

"Cursed? Why? How?" Mai was surprised to learn this. No one had mentioned it.

"The first ballerina to perform it ran off and married the young composer. This angered the director of the company and he forbid her from performing the Red Shoes ever again. She comes to visit him later and then he offers her the chance to dance it again. She accepts, but she hides this fact from her husband. Right before the show he comes to her dressing room and confronts her. He tries to make her choose and when she doesn't he leaves her. She being led to the stage and then turns to run down the hall and jump from a balcony." Naru explains.

"I see…" Mai said softly. She felt bad for the ballerina. She understood what it must have felt like to be in that situation. "But why would they think it was cursed?"

"No one danced it for years. The director who owned the rights would allow it, but he was forced to sell it. He implied that no one should ever dance it again. So every time they tried the lead would die. Accidents, murders, and suicides." Peter told her.

"I see.." those seem to Mai's only words. "I think I've heard enough for the night. I'm going to head back to my dorm." Mai got up and left.

As she walked back her room, her thoughts were swimming around what she had just heard.

_Naru wants me back. He apologized. Do I still love him? I kept thinking about him the entire time I was on stage. I wished that he was my prince._

_ Snap out of it, Mai! Naru broke your heart. He made you choose between him and dancing. Who needs that kind of attitude. _

_ But he has always cared about me and he has always been supportive. Maybe we both just needed to learn how to adapt to our new lives. _

_ You want a career in dancing. He wants you to have a career like him. Ghost Hunting is far from dancing. You have so much potential! Don't throw it away for a guy._

_ But what if he is a super hot? His dark hair, his smile, his beautiful blue eyes, his body sculpted like that of a Greek god!_

_ No, No, NO! If he was a jerk before then he can be again. _

Mai made it back to her room. When out to the common area where the rest of the floor was sitting and watching Thoroughly Modern Millie.

"Hey, Mai. Come watch this with us." One of the girls called out to her. Mai parked herself down on the couch and began to watch the movie. When it was finished, she went back to her room and fell asleep.

_Mai was dancing. She felt like she was in heaven. The beautiful garden bathed in moonlight, looked like something out of a fairytale. She felt her silk gown float around her as she twirled in the moonlight_.

_ She stopped when she saw him. Naru appeared out of the shadows and began to walk towards her his hand stretched out to her. He smiled and Mai's heart fluttered. She could feel herself blushing. _

_ "You look beautiful, my love." Naru whispered in her hear. With a swift movement he pulled out the pins that had held her hair up. Her long now was loose and free. She felt him run his hands in her hair. _

_ She loved the way it felt when she touched her. So gentle and soft and warm. She was loving every minute of this. Until she heard the voice. _

_ Don't forgive him! He broke your heart. Leave before its too late! _

_ Mai pulled away from Naru's loving embrace and ran off. She could hear him calling after her. She ran through a hedge maze and down a path through the dark woods. _

_ She stopped when she reached the lake. The beautiful smooth water reflected the moon. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Naru. _

_ She flew into his arms at once and they began to kiss passionately. She loved him with all her heart. She felt safe with him. He had always protected her. _

_ She felt his grip on her tighten. She looked up to see what was wrong, but what she saw was not Naru. _

_ Mai screamed and tried to break away as she stared into the face of Katsumi. She laughed as she struggled to free herself. _

_ "Leave me alone! You're not real!" Mai screamed trying to convince herself. _

_ "Oh I'm real and I'll prove it." He laughed at her. He bent down and planted a hard and painful kiss on her. He pulled away and licked the blood from his lips. "I'm always going to be with you. You can't ever get rid of me. You murdering bitch." _

_ Mai was sobbing now. She was trapped in her nightmare. Naru wasn't there to save her. No one was. Just like before. _

_ Katsumi pushed her onto the ground and began to rip her dress. Mai could feel her body being weighed down. She couldn't move. She tried to struggle, but it was no use. She knew it was coming. _

_ Katsumi had succeeded in ripping off her dress completely. Mai was lying on the cold ground naked. She screamed and tried to struggle some more as Katsumi once again ran his hands down her smooth pale skin. _

_ He placed his hand on he face as if to caress it, but then slapped hard. He repeated the action over and over again. He continued to beat and rape her. Mai found herself alone. She grabbed the remains of her gown and put them back and then managed to move her broken body. She could hear them. The voices of those who had died at the place. They were calling to her. _

_ "Mai.." they called over and over again from every direction. She looked and she saw the hands. The ghostly white hands that reached out to her. She realized that they weren't saying her name at all. They were saying "die" over and over again. _

_ "NO! Leave me alone!" Mai cried. She put her hands over her hears to try and blocked them out and screamed._

Mai sat up in bed. She was wet. She realized that she had wet the bed. Ran to her bathroom as the nausea set in and emptied to contents of her stomach. She was thankful at that moment that she did not have a roommate. She cleaned herself up and curled up in a ball on the floor and cried.

He had seemed so real this time. She needed someone. She was alone in a different country. This had happened a few times before when she had first gotten out of the hospital, but Ayako was always there to help her. She and Monk had a routine in case these episodes happened.

Mai couldn't move she was paralyzed. She couldn't think straight. The hysteria was getting worse. All she knew was that she needed help or else she might do something to harm herself.

She picked up her cell phone and called the one person she could think of.

"Hello? Mai, are you ok?" Naru's voice sounded worried.

"Naru, please help me." Mai's weak voice said.

* * *

**So Mai has had a nightmare/ episode. What will happen when Naru gets there? Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. This is a sequel to Lost. If you haven't read it, I suggest you read and then the story will make more sense. Please Review.

* * *

**

**Chapter 8 **

Naru ran to the dorm building. He didn't wait to wake up Peter and tell him what was going on. Mai needed help.

_"Naru, please help me."_

_ "Mai. Mai!" Naru had called her name over and over again, but she didn't answer._

Naru wasn't sure what was wrong, but he knew it was serious. Naru had to find a way into Mai's building. He had to get to her fast. He could wait around and explain that she may have been attack by a ghost. He thought about climbing through her window, Mai's dorm was on the fourth floor.

Naru was lucky a group of students were entering the building at his time. He came in with them. Naru took off down the hall and up the stairs. He found his way to Mai's room and knocked on the door.

"Mai, are you in there? Mai?" Naru knocked on her door. There was no answer. Naru tried the door. It was unlocked.

He opened the door and entered the room. He could not see Mai. He closed the door and turned on the lights. He heard a whimper soft sobbing coming from the bathroom.

That's where he found Mai curled up on the floor. Upon closer examination he realized that she was bleeding.

"Mai! What happened? Did the ghost do this?" He asked her as he kneeled down next to her.

"Naru?" Mai turned to look at him. Naru took this chance to try and examine Mai and find the source of the bleeding, but he didn't have to look far. On Mai's arms below her shoulders, were deep cuts that resembled nail marks.

"Mai, can you tell me what happened?" Naru asked her. Mai was shaking now. Her breathing became shallow, a clear sign of an episode of hysteria.

Naru didn't know what to do. He picked up the phone next to Mai and dialed Ayako's number.

"Hello? Mai?" Ayako answered.

"This is Naru. Mai seems to be having an attack of hysteria."

Instantly Ayako snapped into action mode. "She must have had a nightmare about him. This has happened before. The first couple months after she got out of the hospital. I need you to listen carefully, Naru."

"I'm listening." Naru was anxious to do something for Mai.

"First off, she has probably wet the bed. Is she still in those clothes?"

Naru checked. Mai's clothes were clean. "No her clothes are good."

"Ok then she must have changed them. The next thing that happens is that she vomits. Make sure that she drinks water. Also give her something soft to hold. Like a pillow."

"What does that do?" Naru asked.

"It prevents her from clawing at herself. Is she injured at all? Has she taken anything?" Ayako asked.

"I don't know. She isn't talking anymore." Naru had walked back and gave Mai a pillow to hold.

"Ok check the cabinets and trash for empty bottles." Ayako instructed. Naru checked. Everything was good.

"Now check Mai for any self inflicted wounds." Ayako told him.

"She has nail marks on her arms. They look a little deep." Naru told her.

"Clean them and bandage them. Then give her two of her prescribed sedatives." Ayako read the name off. "When you do that put her to bed. Monk or I usually sit with her for the night, it makes her feel more secure. Don't forget to check to see if the bed is clean. She may have cleaned herself up, but she probably didn't get to change the sheets." Naru put Ayako on hold and began to clean Mai's injuries.

"So I didn't get to tell you that you looked beautiful as Cinderella." Naru tried to talk to her.

Mai seemed to understand she looked up at Naru as he spoke to her. Naru continued to talk to her.

"I have to admit that when I saw you up there I realized how happy you were. There was something about you that just radiated and enticed the audience." Naru looked at her and smiled. Mai looked away as she began to blush.

Naru chuckled at little. It was out of relief than amusement. Mai seemed to be coming around. Naru finished putting the bandage on Mai's arm.

"Well you should heal up just fine. I might not be have an M.D., but I have become very good at first aid having you as an assistant." He looked at Mai scowl at him.

Naru walked her out of the bathroom and set her in a chair, while he changed her bedding. He didn't get very far. Mai got up and pushed him out of the way.

"Mai, I can do that. It's no problem." Naru tried to assure her, but she had already stripped her bed and threw it a garbage bag. She didn't speak as she took clean sheets out of her closet and began to put them on her bed.

Naru came over and helped her. She paused only for a moment, to watch him pull the corner of the sheet over the mattress and then took the other end. Together the placed a clean quilt on top and place the pillows on the bed.

Naru went back to the bathroom and grabbed the glass of water and a bottle of pills. He got back on the phone with Ayako.

"So her bed is ready. She is all cleaned up and she seems to be ok except she won't talk, but she is making eye contact and is aware of what's going on."

"That's a good sign. Just give her the sedative and she should be ok in the morning. Tell her that I want her to call me when she wakes up. Good night and thank you." Ayako hung up.

Naru put the phone down and took out two pills and held them out to Mai. She looked away. "Mai, Ayako said for you to take these and to call her in the morning." Naru instructed her. Mai scowled at him again.

"I don't want them. I'm fine. I'm not going to kill myself if that's what you're afraid of." Mai told him. This surprised Naru. Mai had been silent the entire time.

"I didn't think you would. I just want to make sure your ok." Naru told her.

"Why? What does it matter to you?" Mai said looking at her hands.

"Do you really have to ask? It's because I love you." Naru answered. Mai looked up him in shock. Her mouth was hanging open. Naru walked over and closed it with his hand gently.

"Don't want any bugs to fly in." He said and pulled her up from the chair and led her to her bed. He held out his hand with the pills in it. Mai grudgingly took them and he handed her the water.

He led her to her bed and tucked her in. He remembered the last bit that Ayako had mentioned about staying with her for the rest of the night. Mai was beginning to get drowsy. Naru was going to sleep on the couch, but Mai grabbed his shirt as he turned.

"Please stay." She asked her voice was soft as the sedatives took effect.

"Don't worry. I'm not going any where. I'll be on the couch." He told her.

"No… please stay here….. I can't see you over there…." Mai said her words becoming slurred. Naru thought back to when they were at the summer house when Mai had discovered Gene and Katsumi's remains. She had been sedated and Naru had been there when she woke up.

"Please stay here." She said again. Naru laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her small figure. She seemed to relax more.

He fell asleep holding Mai in his arms.

* * *

**I really was surprised by the difference in opinions when it came to Mai and Naru. Some of you guys don't want her to forgive him so easily, but others really want them to get back together again. Its really interesting**


	9. Chapter 9

**So i added a character for Krissy2lip**. **I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

Mai woke up that morning remembering fully the events of last night. Naru was still asleep. She carefully got out of bed and got in the shower.

_I'll have to call Ayako in a little bit. I hope she and Monk weren't too worried. It's been a long time since I had a nightmare like that. _

_ I should thank Naru for coming last night…._

_ "Do you really have to ask? It's because I love you." _Mai remembered Naru's words to her. He told her that he loved her.

The entire time he had been so kind and gentle to her. He told her that she looked beautiful on stage. She could feel herself blushing again. She remembered not wanting him to change her sheets. She was too embarrassed about wetting the bed. She didn't want him to have to see it.

She had asked him to stay with her. She had insisted that he sleep in the same bed with her so that she knew he was there. So as she was taking her shower he was still out there sleeping in her bed. The bed that he helped her make last night.

Mai finished and got out of the shower. She wrapped the towel around her and walked out into her room.

She looked at Naru's sleeping form. This was the first time she had had a real chance to look at his appearance. His hair was ruffled. He was wearing grey sweat pants and a light blue t shirt that Mai had given him when they were dating. She looked over at the couch and saw his sweat shirt. Mai eyed how the fabric of the t shirt clung to Naru's muscular body.

She began to feel the spark that usually led to their nights together. She smack herself in the face to snap herself out of it.

_OWW! That really hurt. Why do I have to be so stupid? Get a hold of yourself Mai and just get dressed. _

Mai began to pull the towel off and fumble around in her draws. She heard a small gasp and turned her head to look at Naru's stunned expression.

Naru had woken up to Mai's naked form bent over getting dressed. "Oh! Um… I'll just leave you…" Naru struggled with the covers.

"Naru, don't act so immature. It's not like you haven't seen me naked before. I recall many occasions where you enjoyed helping me undress." Mai told him and went back to rooting around for her clothes.

She had a point. Naru remembered those occasions all too well.

"Just go in the bathroom and brush your teeth or something." Mai suggested as she pulled on her panties.

She finished getting dressed as Naru washed up. She walked over and picked up her phone and called Ayako.

"Oh Mai! Are you alright? I'll book a flight and come out there-"

"Ayako, calm down. I'm ok. It was just a nightmare. I'm fine really." Mai tried to reassure her.

"I should have come out there with you! What was I thinking? You being away for 2 months and not seeing your therapist."

"She said it would be fine. We all thought that this wouldn't happen again. It just must have been from the stress of everything…" Mai began to trail off.

"That also brings me back to Naru. So he came to New York to get you back? I know it was discussed, but no was expecting him to just get up and go to there without informing anyone. He just sent an email to Lin and was on a plane before anyone could react." Ayako told her.

"So I guess I can't yell at you guys for the lack of warning." Mai told her about how he just showed up at the cast party and how Peter came up with a distraction.

"Hahaha. That sounds like something Yasuhara would come up with." She laughed.

"Yeah. Do you think that they have been comparing notes secretly?" Mai laughed,

"Well, you sound ok. But I think you should still see someone while you're there." Ayako said.

"What do you mean? Find a therapist? I don't have time to go looking for a therapist." Mai exclaimed.

"I know that so I found one for you." Ayako told her.

"Wait. When did you do that?" Mai could hear talking in the background.

"Are you on the phone with Mai? Let me talk to her!" she heard Monk say.

"No. I'm busy right now. You can talk to her when I'm done." Ayako told him.

"No way! You always say that and then you hang up the phone and I never get a chance to talk to my little girl!" Monk said.

Mai heard a loud smack and then Ayako was back. "Anyways. What I was saying was I already found you one. You have an appointment set up for this afternoon. They'll call you with the information." Ayako was lounging in an armchair talking to Mai on the cordless phone. When the line went dead.

Monk had had enough of her hogging the phone, he went to another room and picked up the phone and then snuck back to unplug the cordless phone's base. Then ran back and locked the bedroom door and started his conversation with Mai.

"Hey there kid o. So how is New York?" He asked her. "How was the show?"

"It was great except I think I have a problem. It's bit of a boy problem. Do you really want to hear it?" Mai asked him.

"If it doesn't involve sex then I'm all ears." He told her,

"Well do you know about Luke. Well we're sort of dating, but its not really official."

"Not really official. Is that the problem?"

"No just listen ok. So was the prince and we did a good job except during the show I kept imagining him as Naru!"

"Ohh that is a problem. I don't know if I can be of too much assistance, but I will try. You still love Naru. This Luke guy might be nice and good looking, but it's not far for him if you can't decide what you want." Monk told her.

"I know what I want, but at the same time I don't want it because I'm still pretty pissed off." Mai whined.

"Understandable, but my solution is to end it with him or just keep it causal. Besides no sense and getting to serious. Your coming back to Japan to finish your schooling, unless you choose to stay." Monk told her.

"Hey! I know you stole the plug for the phone and all the other phones too!" Mai could hear Ayako screaming and pounding on the door.

"Monk….." Mai started "What did you do?"

"Nothing much. Just stole all the phones in the apartment and then base for the cordless phone so I could get a chance to talk to you." Monk laughed. Mai started to laugh too.

"You know she's going to kill you and I'm not there to save you." Mai laughed.

"It's ok. I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself. I miss you." Monk hung up the phone.

Mai looked up and realized that Naru had been standing there for most of the conversation.

"So you were imagining me as the prince." He had a smug look on his face. "I'm just that that sexy that you can't stop thinking about me." Mai picked up the pillow and threw it at him. This time she actually made contact.

"Go away! Stupid narcissistic jerk!" Mai opened her door and motioned for him to leave. Naru looked sad. Mai wasn't all too sure that she wanted him to leave, but she stuck to her words and her grabbed his sweatshirt and left.

* * *

**Therapist**

Mai walked into the lobby area. She signed in and then sat in one of he chairs flipping through an old travel magazine.

"Mai Taniyama?" A woman appeared and motioned for her to come into the room.

Mai walked into the bright elegantly decorated room. Just like her other therapist's office. Was this some kind of law that all offices must look like this?

There was one difference thought that made Mai immediately like her new doctor. She noticed a large volume of Alice and Wonderland in a place of honor on the bookshelf. Mai looked around and saw a stuffed Cheshire Cat.

"That's so cool!" Mai said as she walked over to it.

"You think so? I picked him up at an artist corner sale." She told Mai. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. Krissy Tulip."

"Nice to meet you." Mai shook her hand.

They spent sometime just talking and getting comfortable with each other. Mai was nervous about seeing a different doctor. She was so use to hers that she didn't know if she was comfortable talking with someone she didn't know at all, but Krissy turned out to be really cool.

She and Mai began to talk about her dream and about how she felt and how she was feeling about what happened to her. She told Mai what everyone else had been telling her. That she still is harboring feelings of guilt about what happened.

"It's not uncommon concerning victims of violent crimes. You have made great progress, but you still have a long road ahead of you. Something has set you back though."

"I don't know what that could be." Mai said.

"You said that you experienced a break up before coming here. Let's discuss that."

"There's nothing to discuss really. Naru told me to choose and I did. I don't regret my choice." Mai said.

"I see. Have you spoken with Naru since coming here?" she asked.

"Well he actually came here to try and get me back." Mai said.

"I see. So what did you tell him?" she asked.

"I told him to leave, but he didn't and then last when I had that nightmare I called him." Mai confessed.

"So you called him? Why not one of your friends?" She asked.

"I don't know." Mai said.

"I think you do know. You just don't want to admit it." She told her.

"I don't know. I really don't so could you just tell me." Mai said as she began to get defensive.

"If I told you what would you get from that? You already know the answer. I think we're done for the day. If you need to talk you can call me anytime."

Mai walked out of the office and found Naru sitting in a chair waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. She was shocked and annoyed, but there was something more. She felt happy to see him.

"I was waiting for you. Ayako called me and told me that you would be coming here and I thought I should come and support you." Naru responded as he got up from his chair and approached her.

"Naru…?" Mai didn't know what he was going to do. _Kiss me. Oh please please kiss me! Ah! Wait what the hell am I thinking? _

Naru took Mai's arm and pulled her outside. Mai was too busy fighting with her own thoughts to object to this treatment. _Why do I want him to kiss me? I hate him! I hate him and his air of superiority that he has about him. I hate his stupid perfect muscles that go with his stupid perfect jet black hair…. His eyes that are so beautiful and make want to drool… Grrrr! I hate you, Naru! _

"You're too damn perfect!" Mai shouted out by mistake. Naru stopped walking and let go of her arm. He along with the other people on the sidewalk gave her a strange look.

Mai began to turn red from embarrassment. This was probably one of the most awkward moments of her life. _Ok Mai just be cool. You can do that. I can be cool. _

"Oh look at the time. I got to go to a cast meeting." Mai took off running down the sidewalk. She made it all the way to the theatre and with time to spare.

* * *

**I hoped you liked it. See i decided to make a compromise. Naru is making up for his jerk behavior and Mai is totally in love with him, but she is not giving in just yet... Please Review**


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own Ghost Hunt or the Red Shoes. I don't know who owns the Red Shoes. I remember if something was written before 1920 it was considered fair game and there was no copy right infringement, but I think you should still cite it. Just to clear something up when they read the story Peter is reading it and so is the director. The parts that are being read are directly from the story.

* * *

**

**Chapter 10**

Naru watched as Mai ran down the sidewalk. She had yelled at him for being too perfect. He began to laugh. It was so much like old times. When Mai would yell at him for being a narcissist. Naru was supposed to meet Peter at the library. He made his way in that direction.

He walked up to the grand building. Peter was waiting for him out front.

"You're late." Peter told him. He looked annoyed.

"I had other business if you were in such a hurry why didn't you just go ahead?" Naru asked in his cold manner.

"Have you seen this place it's huge! If I went in without you, do you think we'd ever meet up?" Peter said as he turned to open the door for a girl. He smiled and tried to make small talk.

Naru glared. Of course Peter couldn't concentrate. He just couldn't stop flirting long enough to do anything. Naru brushed past Peter and the girl and went inside. Peter apologized to the girl and hurried after Naru.

They got to work quickly. Naru and Peter got to work researching anything that related to the Red Shoes. Even thought Peter had already told him most of the information, Naru wanted conformation.

* * *

**The Cast Meeting**

Mai got there with some time to spare. She mingled with the other dancers. The director came in and called for everyone to take seat.

"I'm glad to see everyone getting along so well. From today on, this is your family. We are here to support each other. I would like to share with you a story that is what this ballet is based on.

**Naru and Peter

* * *

**

"Hey, look what I found." Peter said as he walked back to Naru, who was flipping through old documents.

"What is it?" he asked as Peter opened a big leather bound book.

"It's the fairy tale I was telling you about. I didn't know all the detail, but this is it here!"

**Cast Meeting

* * *

**

"Story I'm about to read is the story behind this Ballet. It is important for you all to know this."

Mai stiffened. Were they going to talk about the curse? The director began to speak. **"ONCE** upon a time there was little girl, pretty and dainty. But in summer time she was obliged to go barefooted because she was poor, and in winter she had to wear large wooden shoes, so that her little instep grew quite red."

**Peter and Naru

* * *

**

Peter read the story to Naru

"In the middle of the village lived an old shoemaker's wife; she sat down and made, as well as she could, a pair of little shoes out of some old pieces of red cloth. They were clumsy, but she meant well, for they were intended for the little girl, whose name was Karen."

The** director** continued. "Karen received the shoes and wore them for the first time on the day of her mother's funeral. They were certainly not suitable for mourning; but she had no others, and so she put her bare feet into them and walked behind the humble coffin."

**Peter** went on "Just then a large old carriage came by, and in it sat an old lady; she looked at the little girl, and taking pity on her, said to the clergyman, "Look here, if you will give me the little girl, I will take care of her.""

* * *

**The director:** "Karen believed that this was all on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought them hideous, and so they were burnt. Karen herself was dressed very neatly and cleanly; she was taught to read and to sew, and people said that she was pretty. But the mirror told her, "You are more than pretty—you are beautiful."

* * *

**Peter:** "One day the Queen was traveling through that part of the country, and had her little daughter, who was a princess, with her. All the people, amongst them Karen too, streamed towards the castle, where the little princess, in fine white clothes, stood before the window and allowed herself to be stared at. She wore neither a train nor a golden crown, but beautiful red morocco shoes; they were indeed much finer than those which the shoemaker's wife had sewn for little Karen. There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!"

* * *

**Director:** Karen was now old enough to be confirmed; she received some new clothes, and she was also to have some new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the measure of her little foot in his own room, in which there stood great glass cases full of pretty shoes and white slippers. It all looked very lovely, but the old lady could not see very well, and therefore did not get much pleasure out of it. Amongst the shoes stood a pair of red ones, like those which the princess had worn. How beautiful they were! and the shoemaker said that they had been made for a count's daughter, but that they had not fitted her.

"I suppose they are of shiny leather?" asked the old lady. "They shine so."

"Yes, they do shine," said Karen. They fitted her, and were bought. But the old lady knew nothing of their being red, for she would never have allowed Karen to be confirmed in red shoes, as she was now to be.

* * *

**Peter:** Everybody looked at her feet, and the whole of the way from the church door to the choir it seemed to her as if even the ancient figures on the monuments, in their stiff collars and long black robes, had their eyes fixed on her red shoes. It was only of these that she thought when the clergyman laid his hand upon her head and spoke of the holy baptism, of the covenant with God, and told her that she was now to be a grown-up Christian. The organ pealed forth solemnly, and the sweet children's voices mingled with that of their old leader; but Karen thought only of her red shoes. In the afternoon the old lady heard from everybody that Karen had worn red shoes. She said that it was a shocking thing to do, that it was very improper, and that Karen was always to go to church in future in black shoes, even if they were old.

On the following Sunday there was Communion. Karen looked first at the black shoes, then at the red ones—looked at the red ones again, and put them on.

The sun was shining gloriously, so Karen and the old lady went along the footpath through the corn, where it was rather dusty.

* * *

**Director:** At the church door stood an old crippled soldier leaning on a crutch; he had a wonderfully long beard, more red than white, and he bowed down to the ground and asked the old lady whether he might wipe her shoes. Then Karen put out her little foot too. "Dear me, what pretty dancing-shoes!" said the soldier. "Sit fast, when you dance," said he, addressing the shoes, and slapping the soles with his hand.

The old lady gave the soldier some money and then went with Karen into the church.

And all the people inside looked at Karen's red shoes, and all the figures gazed at them; when Karen knelt before the altar and put the golden goblet to her mouth, she thought only of the red shoes. It seemed to her as though they were swimming about in the goblet, and she forgot to sing the psalm, forgot to say the "Lord's Prayer."

* * *

**Peter:** Now every one came out of church, and the old lady stepped into her carriage. But just as Karen was lifting up her foot to get in too, the old soldier said: "Dear me, what pretty dancing shoes!" and Karen could not help it, she was obliged to dance a few steps; and when she had once begun, her legs continued to dance. It seemed as if the shoes had got power over them. She danced round the church corner, for she could not stop; the coachman had to run after her and seize her. He lifted her into the carriage, but her feet continued to dance, so that she kicked the good old lady violently. At last they took off her shoes, and her legs were at rest.

At home the shoes were put into the cupboard, but Karen could not help looking at them.

Now the old lady fell ill, and it was said that she would not rise from her bed again. She had to be nursed and waited upon, and this was no one's duty more than Karen's. But there was a grand ball in the town, and Karen was invited. She looked at the red shoes, saying to herself that there was no sin in doing that; she put the red shoes on, thinking there was no harm in that either; and then she went to the ball; and commenced to dance.

* * *

**Peter:** But when she wanted to go to the right, the shoes danced to the left, and when she wanted to dance up the room, the shoes danced down the room, down the stairs through the street, and out through the gates of the town. She danced, and was obliged to dance, far out into the dark wood. Suddenly something shone up among the trees, and she believed it was the moon, for it was a face. But it was the old soldier with the red beard; he sat there nodding his head and said: "Dear me, what pretty dancing shoes!"

She was frightened, and wanted to throw the red shoes away; but they stuck fast. She tore off her stockings, but the shoes had grown fast to her feet. She danced and was obliged to go on dancing over field and meadow, in rain and sunshine, by night and by day—but by night it was most horrible.

* * *

**Director:** She danced out into the open churchyard; but the dead there did not dance. They had something better to do than that. She wanted to sit down on the pauper's grave where the bitter fern grows; but for her there was neither peace nor rest. And as she danced past the open church door she saw an angel there in long white robes, with wings reaching from his shoulders down to the earth; his face was stern and grave, and in his hand he held a broad shining sword.

"Dance you shall," said he, "dance in your red shoes till you are pale and cold, till your skin shrivels up and you are a skeleton! Dance you shall, from door to door, and where proud and wicked children live you shall knock, so that they may hear you and fear you! Dance you shall, dance—!"

"Mercy!" cried Karen. But she did not hear what the angel answered, for the shoes carried her through the gate into the fields, along highways and byways, and unceasingly she had to dance.

* * *

**Peter:** One morning she danced past a door that she knew well; they were singing a psalm inside, and a coffin was being carried out covered with flowers. Then she knew that she was forsaken by every one and damned by the angel of God.

She danced, and was obliged to go on dancing through the dark night. The shoes bore her away over thorns and stumps till she was all torn and bleeding; she danced away over the heath to a lonely little house. Here, she knew, lived the executioner; and she tapped with her finger at the window and said:

"Come out, come out! I cannot come in, for I must dance."

And the executioner said: "I don't suppose you know who I am. I strike off the heads of the wicked, and I notice that my axe is tingling to do so."

"Don't cut off my head!" said Karen, "for then I could not repent of my sin. But cut off my feet with the red shoes."

* * *

**Director:** And then she confessed all her sin, and the executioner struck off her feet with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the little feet across the field into the deep forest.

And he carved her a pair of wooden feet and some crutches, and taught her a psalm which is always sung by sinners; she kissed the hand that guided the axe, and went away over the heath.

"Now, I have suffered enough for the red shoes," she said; "I will go to church, so that people can see me." And she went quickly up to the church-door; but when she came there, the red shoes were dancing before her, and she was frightened, and turned back.

* * *

**Peter:** During the whole week she was sad and wept many bitter tears, but when Sunday came again she said: "Now I have suffered and striven enough. I believe I am quite as good as many of those who sit in church and give themselves airs." And so she went boldly on; but she had not got farther than the churchyard gate when she saw the red shoes dancing along before her. Then she became terrified, and turned back and repented right heartily of her sin.

She went to the parsonage, and begged that she might be taken into service there. She would be industrious, she said, and do everything that she could; she did not mind about the wages as long as she had a roof over her, and was with good people. The pastor's wife had pity on her, and took her into service. And she was industrious and thoughtful. She sat quiet and listened when the pastor read aloud from the Bible in the evening. All the children liked her very much, but when they spoke about dress and grandeur and beauty she would shake her head.

* * *

**Director:** On the following Sunday they all went to church, and she was asked whether she wished to go too; but, with tears in her eyes, she looked sadly at her crutches. And then the others went to hear God's Word, but she went alone into her little room; this was only large enough to hold the bed and a chair. Here she sat down with her hymn-book, and as she was reading it with a pious mind, the wind carried the notes of the organ over to her from the church, and in tears she lifted up her face and said: "O God! help me!"

* * *

**Peter:** Then the sun shone so brightly, and right before her stood an angel of God in white robes; it was the same one whom she had seen that night at the church-door. He no longer carried the sharp sword, but a beautiful green branch, full of roses; with this he touched the ceiling, which rose up very high, and where he had touched it there shone a golden star. He touched the walls, which opened wide apart, and she saw the organ which was pealing forth; she saw the pictures of the old pastors and their wives, and the congregation sitting in the polished chairs and singing from their hymn-books. The church itself had come to the poor girl in her narrow room, or the room had gone to the church. She sat in the pew with the rest of the pastor's household, and when they had finished the hymn and looked up, they nodded and said, "It was right of you to come, Karen."

"It was mercy," said she.

The organ played and the children's voices in the choir sounded soft and lovely. The bright warm sunshine streamed through the window into the pew where Karen sat, and her heart became so filled with it, so filled with peace and joy, that it broke. Her soul flew on the sunbeams to Heaven, and no one was there who asked after the _Red Shoes.

* * *

_

**Cast Meeting**

Everyone was very quiet when the story was finished. Mai who loved old fairytales, knew how gruesome they could be. _And I wonder how young children weren't mentally scared. _Mai thought to herself.

"Now shall we give our leading lady a welcome? Mai Taniyama would you please come stand here." The director said.

Mai got up and walked to the front of the room next to the director.

"Some of you may already know her from Cinderella, but for those who don't, Mai would you please introduce yourself."

"Hello, I'm Mai Taniyama. I promise to work hard and do my best." Mai bowed.

The cast clapped and whistled and cheered.

**Naru and Peter

* * *

**

"That was an interesting story." Naru said when Peter had finished reading.

"Yeah. Hans Christen Andersen has a way with words. I can see why most of his stories have been changed." Peter said. **(most of our beloved fairytales have been changed. The little Mermaid was not a happy ending in the story. I think she becomes the foam on the sea.)**

"I have found some interesting information about the history of this Ballet." Naru told Peter

**Cast Meeting

* * *

**

"We have a surprise for you, Mai." The director told her. He motioned for someone to come forward with a box. They handed it to Mai.

The box was large and white. It was wrapped with a giant red ribbon. As Mai held the box in her hands she began to feel something odd. She felt this electric pulse going through her body. It was coming from the box. Whatever was in this box was alive.

Mai set the box on the table. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Whatever was in the box was calling to her.

She slowly pulled the ribbon. It came untied and she slipped it off the box. She placed her heads on the lid and lifted it.

Mai gasped and reached for the contents of the box.

* * *

**I sorry for the cliffhanger. I think old fairytales are cool. Its always fascinating to see how they've been altered from their original form. Please Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.**

**Chapter 11**

Naru was sitting at the table surrounded by old papers and books. Naru opened is laptop and began to type an email to Lin.

_Lin,_

_There is something very strange surrounding this Ballet. I'm not sure what it is though. Nothing has happened yet. Still researching with Peter to confirm the back ground information, I'll be sure to keep you posted._

_Naru_

"So are you going to share what you have managed to find?" Peter asked Naru.

"I was able to confirm the origins of the Ballet. Most of what you told me was true." Naru said.

"Most of it? I was just recounting what I heard." Peter told him.

"According to the records Miss Victoria Page came to the Ballet Lermontov when she was only 16 years old. She only had minor roles until she was 17 when she starred in the Red Shoes."

'That's impressive. It usually takes year for a dancer to get to that level. She did it at 17." Peter said "Unless the other rumor is true…." Peter trailed off and Naru continued

"After that she became the lead. The company was more popular then ever. At the age of 18, she left the company. It was right after composer Julian Craster was fired."

"Does it say why he was fired?" Peter asked.

"It states that its only reason for termination was due to a lack of creativity. At this point in his career he was pretty much unknown." Naru told Peter.

"That's strange considering he composed most of the Ballets including the Red Shoes; and went on to compose even more famous Operas." Peter said.

"That's why I think it's safe to assume that part about the story was true. That Mr. Boris Lermontov was jealous of the relationship between Julian and Victoria." Naru said.

"Do you think that Boris Lermontov and Victoria Page had an affair?" Peter asked.

"I don't think so. If that had been the case she wouldn't have left the company to marry Julian. Maybe he wanted more and she didn't." Naru said and then continued with his results. "They got married and Julian composed Operas. He was very famous. Victoria unfortunately quit dancing to be a wife. Reports say that she and her husband were very much in love and he was a very gentle person."

"But she ended up committing suicide. There must have been something more." Peter said.

"They were married about a year when she was asked to dance the Red Shoes again. No one had danced it since her. She was the only one ever to dance it. Both men say it was written for her, to make her a star, which it did." Naru said.

"So does it say if Lermontov met with her in secret?" Peter asked.

"It does not, but considering the police report, that confirms her suicide, the statements taken seem to corroborate that." Naru pulled out the police report and handed to Peter.

"It's in French." Peter said.

"Yes, that is because she killed herself in France. That was where they were to perform. You can read French so why are you complaining?" Naru said coldly.

"Yeah I can read French fluently thank you very much and I'm not complaining I was just surprised that it was in French. I didn't know she killed herself in France." Peter said indignantly.

"So as you can see the statements taken that night say that Julian stormed into her dressing room. He wanted to take her back. Lermontov came in and the two argue. Julian leaves and then Lermontov leaves a few minutes later giving orders for the her dresser to lead her to the stage." Naru said.

"And then a distraught Victoria runs off and jumps from the balcony. The witnesses state that she had a strange look on her face as she was running away. It was emotionless." Peter read off the paper.

"What is really intriguing is that everyone who was there, while she was dying, remember her exact last words, which were to her husband who was by her side. She asked him to take off the red shoes." Naru said.

"So have you found anything about the other deaths?" Peter asked

"Not yet. That will take some more time considering it was performed in several different countries and I'm not fluent in all languages." Naru said.

* * *

**Cast Meeting**

Mai set the box on the table. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Whatever was in the box was calling to her.

She slowly pulled the ribbon. It came untied and she slipped it off the box. She placed her heads on the lid and lifted it.

Mai gasped and reached for the contents of the box.

She held the red ballet slippers in her hands. She could feel the soft smooth material in her hands. She was in awe.

"These are the red shoes you will be performing in." the director told her. "These are very special shoes. These were the shoes worn by the first woman to dance the red shoes. She was about your age when this ballet made her a star."

Mai was speechless. The moment she had seen the shoes she felt as if she were reunited with an old friend. There was no way to describe this feeling of joy and life. That was what she felt. Holding those shoes, just touching them seem to give off a life force of which Mai had never realized she needed.

She saw herself jumping into the shoes and dancing and twirling. It must be heaven or at least very close.

She looked up at the director and tried to come up with words to thank him. She was suddenly aware that there were reporters around her snapping pictures. One of the producers for the show came forward.

"The shoes aren't the only part of the gift. Miss Victoria Page's personal effects are being given to you as well." She told Mai.

"Excuse me?" Mai thought she was hearing things. She had been snapped out of her dream world.

"What was left of her things were in the custody of the woman who now owns the Ballet Lermontov. They had been given to the company's newest owner when Boris Lermontov died. Mr. Julian Craster, the famous composer and husband of Victoria Page, thought that they should be with the art she loved so much." She explained.

"When you were announced as the winner, we all noticed the uncanny resemblance you had to Victoria. In talent, personality, and in beauty. The current owner thought it would be fitting that you be given these." The director said.

Mai back at the box and saw that it held other items as well. On top was a large photograph of Victoria. She looked just like Mai with her long hair and large eye. There was a small color portrait of her. This made the resemblance very clear. She and Mai had the same brown hair with a tint of red to it. They both had the same shaped face and features. She and Mai both had large cinnamon eyes.

In the portrait, Victoria posed with her hand under chin in a delicate and yet seductive fashion. She smiled is a coy way. The lips came together and looked lush red, like roses. Her eyes held a bit of mischievousness to them. Her skin looked like cream, but her cheeks held a blush that highlighted her cheekbones. To Mai, it looked like Victoria was amused with some secret that only she knew and didn't plan on letting slip.

Mai looked past the framed portrait she was holding in her hands and saw that in the bottom off the box was a costume. Mai set the picture down carefully and took out the folded costume. She held it up and gasped again. This was the costume that she wore in the Red Shoes.

_Wait how did I know that? I never saw the ballet or the costumes. This is the second time I've even heard of Victoria Page. _

"There's more, but it will be brought to you room. All her costumes were saved and are in perfect condition. Almost as if they were brand new. We thought it would be an honor to have you wear the original costume for the performance."

Mai's eyes widened. "O-of course! It would be a great honor!" Mai stammered and bowed.  
The room erupted in cheers. Everyone was clapping and calling her name. She was asked to pose next to the portrait and holding the red shoes.

Mai was whisked off to be transformed for the photo shoot.

* * *

**Peter and Naru.**

Peter looked down at his cell phone. He was being called by his parents.

"I wonder what they want." Peter said.

"Then why don't you answer it and find out." Naru said in his usual cold voice.

"If you haven't notice we're in a library." Peter looked around and then got up. Naru followed him as they went to a far corner of the library behind some shelves.

By this time the cell phone had gone to voice mail. Peter punched in his code and listened to the message.

Naru watched as Peter's eyes widened.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Naru asked. His voice showed his anxiety.

"Yes something very big has happened. We have to go now." Peter said.

* * *

**I was having a writing craze and was able to get these chapters out pretty quick. I don't know how fast i'll get the next one out. i don't want to rush, but i do want to get this series done before i have to move back to my dorm Aug 25.**

**I hope you guys liked the Chapter! Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review. I love reading what you guys think.

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**Chapter 12.**

Peter and Naru gathered up their things as fast as possible. They made their way to the theater.

Peter had told Naru what was going on. Naru was getting annoyed. They had decided to take a cab.

"So would you care to explain to me what happened? Did Mai get hurt?" Naru asked. His annoyance was clear.

"You can relax no one got hurt." Peter told him.

"Then why are we rushing, what happened?" Naru growled.

"The cast meeting has turned into a press conference. They gave Mai a very special gift." Peter said.

"What kind of gift?" Naru asked his eyes narrowed. He didn't like where this was going.

"They gave her the red ballet slippers that Victoria Page wore when she was in the Red Shoes and it doesn't stop there. She was also given Victoria's personal items. They are preparing her for the press conference/ photo shoot, as we speak. We've never seen any pictures of Victoria Page." Peter explained.

"Wait what are you hinting at?" Naru was getting frustrated with Peter's lack of an explanation.

"I wasn't aware that Mai was the spitting image of Victoria Page! Right now they are dressing her up and going to take pictures of Mai in the same poses as Victoria!" Peter yelled.

"Damn!" Naru yelled. "Is she stupid? I told her she was in danger! She knows she has powers, untrained powers! She could end up channeling the her spirit or maybe something worse!" Naru was livid. "If it doesn't kill her, then I will!"

* * *

**Mai**

Mai sat in a chair as her make up was done. Her hair was set in rollers. As they finished up with her makeup, another person went and pulled the hair rollers out. Mai's long hair hung around her shoulders. It curled elegantly around her face.

The hair dresser pulled Mai's hair into a half ponytail just like in the picture. Mai put on her costume. She felt so alive and excited. Mai was taken out into the hall and led to a room.

The photographers positioned her around. She posed in various ways, but the most striking of all was the exact pose of Victoria Page.

"Now is the moment we all have been waiting for." Someone said. "A picture of her putting on the red shoes for the first time."

An assistant brought out the red ballet slippers and handed them to Mai. As soon as she saw them she had felt a longing to place them on her feet. Mai took the shoes in her hands and felt the same electricity as before.

She took off her shoes slowly and reached out to put the slipper on her foot.

Bang!

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to the doors that had just banged open. Naru and Peter stood there. Naru looked furious.

"Mai, are you just that stupid?" He yelled at her.

Mai recovered and stood up from her chair. "Excuse me! You did not just call me stupid!" She was getting really tired of Naru just showing up whenever he wanted.

He pushed his way past the stunned bystanders and stood in front of Mai.

"Are crazy then? Or just suicidal?" He continued

"Shut up! I might be crazy, but its because I've spent too much time around people like you!" Mai screamed back.

"If you were spending enough time with me or people like me, you would have more sense then this. You must have the brain of a 3yr old child!" He yelled at her.

"At least I don't spend two hours in front of a mirror admiring myself. Do you recall the saying about how to kill a narcissist? Stick a mirror at the bottom of a pool and they'll drown." Mai shot back. This seemed to really hit Naru, but he managed to recover quickly.

"I asked you not to do anything reckless!" He told her. His voice had gone quiet, but still deadly. Before Mai, could reply Peter rushed in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Ok well lets all go and take this conversation else where. No need to cause a scene." He said as he grabbed them both by the arm and pulled them towards the door.

Mai and Naru became very aware of all the staring faces.

Once in the hall, the fight continued.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Barging in here, being the man in charge." Mai was fuming with her wild arm gestures.

"Saving your life. Those shoes could be the cause of this all. Did that ever occur to you?" Naru told her.

"Did it ever occur to you that your over reacting and that everything is a coincidence?" Mai said. "Where is your logic?"

"Considering everyone who has attempted dance this died, I find it hard to leave to coincidence." Naru told her.

"Well then it's not the shoes." Mai told him hotly.

"What makes you so sure?" Naru asked her with clear annoyance.

"Because no one has worn these since Victoria Page. Her things have been in storage and now they belong to me." Mai said smugly.

"How do you know that?" Peter asked her.

"That what they told me when they gave them to me." Mai answered.

"Well that is interesting. We don't really have anything on the other death at this time." Peter said.

"I'll prove to you the shoes are fine." Mai quickly slipped them on her feet before they could react. She tied them and then extended her leg out gracefully and shook her foot in Naru's face. "See. Nothing. No blood. No screams. No vengeful spirits. No fainting or anything bad." Mai put her leg down. "Now if you excuse me, I have to get back to my photo shoot." And she twirled away from him and walked back into the room.

Naru and Peter went back inside and watched the shoot continue. Mai did several costume changes and seemed full of life. She smiled and laughed with everyone.

When the shoot finished Mai went off the get changed. When she came outside she saw that Naru was waiting for her.

"You're still here?" She asked.

"Well it looks like it doesn't it." Naru replied.

"I really don't want to talk to you right now." Mai said. She sounded tired and sad as she walked away.

"Mai, please wait." Naru said softly. Mai stopped, but did not look at him.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"What?" she turned to face him.

"I'm sorry for over reacting and causing a scene. I just wanted to protect you. I thought you were in danger and I still do." He said as he walked towards her.

"Naru, I understand what your saying, but I can't have you coming in the save the day all the time. If depend on you too much what will happen when I'm alone? I can protect myself." She told him.

"Mai, I still love you." He told her.

"I know and I still love about you too." She said sadly.

Naru came closer and held her face in his hands. He placed his lips on hers. They kissed for awhile, but Mai pulled away.

"What?" he asked her softly.

"You don't understand." And she turned to walk away.

"You're still mad about what I said back in Japan?" He asked sounding confused.

"And your surprised by that?" Mai laughed in disbelief. "And you called me stupid."

"I thought we were past that." Naru said.

"Well you thought wrong." Mai said crossing her arms. She turned again to leave. Naru caught her arm.

_"Why do you want to dance?"_ Naru asked her. He wanted to understand why she was so passionate about this.

_"Why do you want to live?"_ Mai asked him in response. She was calm and collected.

"What kind of a question is that?" Naru asked confused.

"Just answer it." Mai sounded tired again.

_"Well, I don't know exactly why, but... I must."_ Naru found himself saying.

"_That's my answer too."_ She smiled. She felt like she had had this conversation with someone before. **(those are memorable line from the movie that are italicized)**

"Then I understand." He told her. "This is important to you, but your life is important to me. Please don't do this show." His voice was pleading. It pulled at Mai's heart.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Mai said softly. He embraced her.

"I'll walk you back to your dorm." He smiled at her.

"Well actually I'm not going to my dorm tonight. I decided that to sleep in my hotel suite. That way if anything happens again no one will find out about it." Mai said referring to her nightmare.

Naru walked her to her door.

"Why don't you come in for tea? I heard all about Hurricane Sonny. I'm sure you have missed my tea." She laughed.

"You have no idea." He smiled back.

For the first time in a while, he and Mai talked and had a great time. He told her about how no one wanted to work for him and how he was forced to keep Sonny Joon. He even told her about how Sonny had made some strange concoctions and how he was seeing strange things.

Mai laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes. She snorted by accident and stopped laughing abruptly. She looked at Naru who had his face covered with his hand and was shaking.

"Naru?" Mai asked him. Naru pulled his hand down and Mai saw that Naru the narcissist, Mr. doom and gloom was laughing uncontrollably. Mai had never seen him laugh like that. He was even more handsome when he was laughing and smiling. Mai had always thought so anyways.

Naru calmed down. That was when Mai did something that surprised her. She moved over to Naru and kissed him. He did not refuse. He and Mai continued kissing. Mai ran her hands down his front and pulled open his button shirt.

Naru in response picked her up and carried her bridal style into the bedroom and closed the door. This time Mai did not refuse.

* * *

**I don't know why I decided to add this. I just thought oooo wouldn't it be an interesting way to complicate the relationship and make a juicy plot. Mai and Naru and their sexual attraction for each other. Does this mean she has forgiven him and will get back with him? Maybe, but maybe not. I got to stop with the film Noir or else Mai might turn into a fem fatal. And that would ruin my plan.**

**Please Review. I love reading them.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.**

**Chapter 13**

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Mai woke up that morning. She held the sheets around her body and looked off to her side. Naru was sleeping. His muscular torso exposed. Mai felt a shiver run down her spine. She grabbed his white button shirt and threw it on.

Mai reached for the phone and called for room service.

"Yes. This is Miss Taniyama in the Royal Suite. I would like you to send up breakfast please. Well, I'm not sure what I would like to have so make it a little bit of everything. Yes that's all thank you." Mai said.

Naru woke up and found himself alone. He and Mai had sex last night. Last night had been one the best nights in a long time.

He got up and grabbed his clothes. His shirts was missing, but he could look for that later. He heard voices and the clinking of plates. He heard the door close and walked out into the lavish living room. The large elegant dinning table was covered with food. Mai stood in Naru's shirt she seemed to talking on her cell phone at the moment.

"So that's what happened to my shirt." Naru said coolly. Mai turned and looked at Naru and smiled.

"I needed something to put on and this was the closest thing." Mai laughed.

"Well it looks much better on you." Naru said slyly as he came close to Mai and kissed her again.

"Hmmm." Mai said as Naru ran his hands through her long hair. "I missed that."

"What else have you missed?" Naru asked her still with the sly smile of his.

"Well it's been so long. I've forgotten." Mai replied.

"I guess I'll just have to help you remember then." Naru began to kiss Mai's neck. He slowly slipped the shirt from her shoulders and progressed down. Naru was moving down her front when the phone rang. Mai pulled away from Naru and readjusted the shirt.

Naru frowned and then reached for his cell phone. "What do you want?" He said coldly.

"Wow, no need for the attitude. I was wondering what happened to you last night?" Peter asked. He sounded angry. He must not have eaten yet and probably didn't get much sleep either Naru thought.

"I'm busy. So go do what you need to do." Naru said is his cold manner.

"Fine." Peter sounded tired. "When do you expect to come back?"

"I don't know so don't wait for me. Go flirt with some girl or something. You're always distracted by them." Naru said this time with an attitude.

"Wait a second, you in the middle of having sex aren't you?" Peter began to laugh. "You either found some random girl on the street or you and Mai hooked up! Naru you player!" Peter laughed even harder. Naru growled and hung up the phone.

"Let me guess it was Peter." Mai smiled.

"Who else could manage to interrupt at the wrong time." Naru replied.

"Well got us breakfast. I have a rehearsal today so I have to eat light, but I wasn't sure what you would be in the mood for so I had them bring up a selection." Mai motioned to the platters of food.

"Is this the room suite they put up for you?" Naru asked as he was eating his eggs.

"Well actually its not. Although the one they gave me was also very grand, I decided to get my own in case I decided to come back and stay here or for when Monk and Ayako come." Mai said. "That one of the good things about being an heiress."

Naru knew that Mai had never enjoyed her fortune. She had lost her parents and had been saddled with a poor excuse of a human being as her guardian. Mai had told him that when he gave her the job as his assistant, she had found her real family.

Naru was still haunted by that summer when he they exposed the dark secrets of Mai's past. How her guardian's brother Katsumi had gone of a killing spree and victimized Mai in the most horrifying way. Gene had tried to save her. He thought of Mai as his sister. He knew that she was the one who could help Naru open his heart.

But Gene never made it that far. Katsumi killed him. As Mai witnessed Gene's murder and Katsumi advanced on her, she had snapped and used her powers and killed that monster. Naru would always be grateful to her for that, killing his brother's murderer.

"You said you were going to quit." Naru reminded her.

"I said I would see what I could do." She began to get defensive again.

"So that translates to 'no'". Naru replied.

"Don't start with me. This is important to me." She said darkly.

"And your life is important to me!" yelled Naru. Mai got up from the table and went to the bedroom.

Naru had finished his breakfast and Mai reemerge in her dance clothes. She handed his folded shirt to him.

"Here you go. Now if you will excuse me I have to go to my rehearsal. You can stay as long as you like, but considering you are also staying in this hotel maybe you should go back to your room." And she turned and left.

Naru stayed at the door for a minute or two and then put on his shirt, grabbed his things and left.

* * *

**The Rehearsal**

Mai had figured they would want to get right into the choreography. Mai was as focused as ever. She had been working on that. Everyone had told her that the reason she suffered was because of her lack of focus,

She agreed completely. Before Monk and Ayako became her guardians, she had been stretched to her limits. Her activities were endless. Every instructor told her the same thing. She had the potential to be great, but she never would until she was able to focus.

Mai's passion was the theatre. She loved to dance and that was what she wanted to do.

"Ok nice work! Let's take a break." The director said. Mai walked over to her bag and sipped her water. She wiped her face and then walked outside to get some air. Her mind wandered over to Naru's words to her.

_"Your life is important to me!" _

She knew he only wanted her to quit because he was afraid that she would end up like the others. She knew what she should do, but she didn't want to do it. Hand over this chance of lifetime to someone else.

Mai got up and went to talk to the director.

"I don't think I should dance." She told him.

"You mean you want to quit the show?" he asked her surprised.

"I don't want to, but I think I have to." Mai pouted and crossed her arms. _Stupid Naru! _She thought.

"I'm confused…. The show will not be as great without you." He said sadly.

"I want this so bad, but I can't do it." She said and made her annoyed face.

"How about this. You keep rehearsing and we'll also plan for the under study to dance, but if you change your mind you will automatically be our star again." He proposed. Mai accepted it and went out to tell the new lead.

"Melissa, can I have a word with you?" Mai asked the petite blond. Melissa was not a pleasant person. She was a prima donna. She couldn't get over that fact that she was not the first choice for the lead.

* * *

**Flashback**

_ "Hi, I'm Mai Taniyama." Mai greeted the girl cheerfully. Everyone had been nice so far. _

_ The girl looked at Mai's extended hand as if it were dirt. "I know who you are. Everyone here knows who you are." Bitterness was not hinted, but made very clear. _

_ "Oh." Mai said self-consciously. "Well it was nice to meet you."_

_ "I glad to have met you so I can tell you this! You do not deserve this part. I do!" She got in Mai's face. _

_ "Well she certainly didn't waste time." Mai thought. She was getting angry. This was no longer being snubbed this was a confrontation and Mai didn't always handle confrontation well. "Ok Mai remember to breath. Don't loose your cool and punch her or throw lighting at her." She told herself. _

_ "You are just a peasant. How many dance school have you gone to before college?" _

_ "Well none, but-" Mai didn't get to finish her sentence. She had some of the best dance instructor even though she never attended a school._

_ "I see. I have been trained in the best school by the best instructors. I am the best one here!" She spat. _

_ "Are you British?" Mai asked. Melissa seemed to have an accent. _

_ "Yes. Why?" She asked. _

_ "I don't know just explains a lot." Mai said as she was walking away. The many onlookers snickered at this comment. Melissa screamed and stomped off. _**(Not making fun of British people just needed Mai to say something.)

* * *

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**Back to the present. **

"What do you want?" She asked Mai her dislike was again made clear.

"I might not be able to do the show and so you will be the lead." Mai said.

"Finally. You just can't handle such an important part." She was just a mean bitch. Mai had to admit she was a great dancer.

"I thought I should give these to you for the show, but I want them back." Mai said.

"Oh please. You are not worthy of these shoes." Melissa snatched the red slippers from Mai's hands and walked away.

Mai stared at her empty hands. She felt like crying. A depression had set in as soon as the slippers had left her possession.

Mai walked and walked. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care. Her life felt meaningless.

_I could call Dr. Krissy, but I don't feel like talking to people._

Mai continued to walk she found herself outside the park. She found the biggest tree in the park and slumped down under it and pouted.

"It's not fair!" She wailed like a 3yr old. "I am worthy. Melissa is just a bit—"

"Bitch." A another voice finished her sentence. Mai screamed.

"Oh my god! The tree is talking!" Mai screamed.

"Yes Mai. A tree is talking to you and soon they will all dance and sing too." Said the all too familiar cold voice.

"Naru!" Mai yelled. "You jerk!"

"So I heard from Peter that you quit." Naru smiled at her.

"Yeah so." Mai pouted. "And how is it that Peter knows all this stuff?"

"His parents help organize this even every year. He knows everything. Also he tends to pick up gossip from the various women he happens to charm." Naru answered.

"Well thanks to you I had to hand over my red slippers to ballerina bitch, the great Melissa Tess." Mai was still pouting.

"Melissa is here?" Naru said. He was surprised by this bit on information.

"So you know her?" Mai asked. She was curious.

"Yes. She happened to throw herself at me a few times." Naru told her.

"You two would certainly make a pair." Mai said to herself.

"What was that?" Naru asked.

"Oh nothing." Mai said.

"I have an idea. I will take you out tonight, anywhere you want." Naru smiled at her.

"Anywhere?" Mai asked. "No arguing or complaining?"

"None. I promise." Naru told her.

"OK!" Mai cheered and grabbed Naru's arm. She dragged to the street where they caught a cab. Mai said an address. The entire ride Mai was excited. Naru wondered where she had in mind.

Cab pulled up to a building and they got out. Mai paid the driver and then turned to Naru.

"Ta- dah!" She cheered. Naru examined the exterior of the building. It was a brick building. A little run down looking compared to the others. It seemed forgotten next to the other busy clubs. "Well come on." Mai pulled him inside.

Naru was wrong about the place being forgotten. It was packed. The place was colorful. It had a comic book theme, but Naru also saw anime and manga characters. There was stage and people were on it dressed in costumes.

"Excuse me." Mai said to the host.

"Mai!" The host exclaimed. He came out and they kissed each others cheeks. "The Ouran booth?" He asked her.

"Yes please." She sang out and slipped him a bill. A sever led them to a booth. The area was covered in Ouran High School Host Club memorabilia. Naru could see why Mai choose this booth. Even though, she tried to hide it, Naru knew that Mai had an obsession for Tamaki and Takarazuka. The many times she had made him go with her to see the various shows.

"So what exactly is this place?" Naru asked looking around the restaurant.

"This is the coolest place I have ever been too. We found it one night when we wanted some good old Karaoke fun. You can go on stage and dress up. They have about every song you can think of." Mai squealed.

"And this is your regular booth?" Naru asked her.

"Well no not exactly. It between this and Vampire Knight." Mai answered.

"Vampire Knight?" Naru had heard of it, but he was not an otaku so he didn't care much.

"Well I can't really explain it, but it's really cool. There are these characters Zero and Ichiro and their identical twins. So their from a vampire hunter family so twins are never born into vampire hunter families." Mai said getting excited.

"Why is that?" Naru saw how excited she was and he wanted her to be happy considering she had given up the lead in the Red Shoes.

"I'm not exactly sure how it was, but something along the lines of the one twin will always absorb the other. So in this case Zero took Ichiro's hunter abilities. Ichiro was always sick and fragile and Zero always felt guilty for that. So then one night the family is attack and Zero is bitten by a pure blood and he slowly changes into a vampire. He thinks that his entire family is dead, but then he finds out Ichiro is alive and that he was the one who help the vampire kill his family. So he got stronger from the vampire's blood. At the end of season 2 Ichiro reveals that he was seeking revenge against this other vampire. So he is injured and goes to Zero's prison and shoots him and tells him to drink the remains of his life so they can finally be as one." Mai finished.

"That sounds more like a soap opera." Naru said coolly.

"You know there are many many people out there who find the twincest to be beautiful." Mai said crossing her arms. Naru choked on his drink.

"Did you just say twincest?" He looked shocked.

"Yeah. The forbidden love between brothers. So poetic." Mai sang out and signed.

"That is just wrong. And before you ask, no Gene and I never had anything like that! You read too much manga." Naru shook his head. Mai laughed.

"Hmm well we'll see." Mai said in sly way. She may have been ignoring her powers, but she did learn a few new tricks. "Well I have something to do. I shall return." Mai got up and went through a back door.

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**The restaurant is something an ex boyfriend told me he wanted to make. I thought it sounded cool. He was an ass though and currently has his life in a hole since he dumped me and started dating a girl who got pregnant while he and i were dating. Although his mother called me to assure me he was not the father. Of course this was like two years ago and i'm dating someone else now. Anyways someone should make a restaurant like this. Also I two favorite of manga's Vampire Knight and Ouran High School Host Club. I think i might like the Ghost Hunt anime more than the manga, but that's just because i love looking at Naru in color, but the manga has more detail. Either way i enjoy writing Ghost Hunt Fanfics because i feel that i'm allowed to be more creative and have more freedom than any other. Hope your enjoying the story, Please Review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.**

**Chapter 14**

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Naru sat at the table and waited. He discovered how some of the cool feature of this place. So one there was a button at every table which you pressed when you needed a waitress, like on an airplane when you wanted a flight attendant. Naru looked as he heard the room start to cheer.

Mai had appeared on the stage four. She must have gone off to request a song.

"Hello everyone. I said I would come back soon." Mai told the audience. "So I decided to do song with a few friends." She motioned to the other side of the stage and two girls and three guys came on the stage. "I totally fell in love with this song when I watch Happy Feet. You guys ready? I want you all to sing along!"

Dance boogie wonderland  
dance boogie wonderland  
Midnight creeps so slowly into hearts,  
of men who need more than they get  
daylight deals a bad hand,  
to a women who has laid too many bets

The mirror stares you in the face and says  
"baby, uh uh it don't work"  
you say your prayers though you don't care  
you dance and shake the hurt  
dance, "MUMBLE!" boogie wonderland  
dance, dance "MUMBLE!" boogie wonderland

Naru watched Mai and remembered when they saw that movie together. The audience sang along and screamed mumble whenever it came to that part. Mai was completely into the song.

Sound fly through the night  
I chase my vinyl dreams to boogie wonderland  
I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland  
I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland

All the love in the world can't be gone  
all the need to be loved can't be wrong  
All the records are playing  
and my heart keeps saying  
"boogie wonderland, wonderland"  
dance boogie wonderland  
dance boogie wonderland

All the love in the world can't be gone  
all the need to be loved can't be wrong  
All the records are playing  
and my heart keeps saying  
"boogie wonderland, wonderland"  
dance boogie wonderland  
dance boogie wonderland

They finished their song and Mai came back to the table.

"What did you think?" Mai asked Naru.

"Think nobody wants to follow your act." Naru joked. Mai laughed.

"Well if it isn't the odd couple." A familiar voice said. Mai and Naru looked up to find Peter with Melissa.

"Peter and Melissa." Mai tried to sound happy.

"Mai. Hello, Oliver." Melissa said her name with malice, but giggled and waved when she said talked to Naru.

_I hate her. I hate her. I hate her. _Mai said to herself.

"So why are you guys here?" Naru asked the two.

"Oh well you told me to go out and I heard about this place and when I ran into Melissa she said she wanted to celebrate getting the lead for the Red Shoes." Peter explained.

Naru saw Mai make a face. She looked like she was in pain and was trying hard not to cry.

"Well, if you don't mind leaving now. I don't enjoy the presence of ugly women who throw themselves at men and must make everyone feel as miserable as they look." Naru said.

Mai choked on her water. _Did he just say that? _She looked up at Melissa's expression. You could see the shock and anger appearing. Mai covered her mouth to prevent any laughter from coming out.

"Well I guess that means we have to leave now. Bye." Peter whisked Melissa off.

"Why did you say that?" Mai asked.

"Because you had to give up your part to her and I know her and I can imagine how much more it hurt having to let her be the lead." Naru told her.

They finished eating and Naru lead her to another building.

"Where are we going?" Mai asked.

"Some place special." Naru told her. He led her into the building. It was an indoor skating rink. Mai hadn't skated in so long. She had dedicated herself to dancing. Naru led her to a bench and handed her a pair of skates. She looked at them and realized they were actually her skates.

"How did you get these?" She asked amazed

"From Ayako and that's not just it." Naru pulled out two long red silk ribbons. "Your red shoes." He told her. Mai laughed.

She switched out the laces with the ribbon and put on her skates. Naru led her to the edge and told her to snap her figures. She humored him. As she snapped her fingers the place was lit by ting lights everywhere. The ceiling looked like the night sky. She realized that there were flowers everywhere as well.

"Now go skate. I have another surprise for you." Naru disappeared. Mai move onto the ice and began to glide around. Music began to play. **(This song is from the movie Thumbelina. I love this song its so sweet. Look it up on youtube. You'll instantly go aww.)**

Let me be your wings  
Let me be your only love  
Let me take you far beyond the stars  
Let me be your wings  
Let me lift you high above  
Everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours  
Anything that you desire  
Anything at all  
Everyday I'll take you higher  
And I'll never let you fall

Mai it was one of her favorite songs. She began to spin and do some of her more complicated moves.

Let me be your wings  
Leave behind the world you know  
For another world of wondrous things  
We'll see the universe  
And dance on Saturn's rings  
Fly with me and I will be your wings

Anything that you desire  
Anything at all  
(Anything at all)  
Everyday I'll take you higher  
And I'll never let you fall

You will be my wings  
(Let me be your wings)  
You will be my only love  
Get ready for another world of wondrous things

We'll see the universe  
And dance on Saturn's rings  
Heaven isn't too far  
Heaven is where you are  
Stay with me and  
Let me be your (You will be my) wings

Naru watched Mai lovingly. He put on skates and went out onto the ice. As the song began to finish, he and Mai met in the middle. The looked into each other's eyes and then began to kiss.

Mai and Naru had romantic night.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Peter had dropped Melissa off at the theater as she had requested and went back to the hotel.

Melissa walked onto the stage. Only the ghost light was on. She bribed one of the stage hands to turn on more lights. She then ordered the man to leave the stage area and auditorium.

"Whatever. I'm going to watch tv. When your done turn off the lights and lock up." The man grumbled. He would come back and check because he figured she wouldn't do as he had told her.

She opened her bag and pulled out the red ballet slippers.

"Finally you are mine!" She said in a hush voice. "I've rescued you from that poor excuse of a dancer."

She took off her own shoes and put on the slippers. She began to dance and twirl. She was running through the routine.

"I'm the greatest dancer ever! I was meant to play this lead. No one can compare to me." She sang out happily as she dance around the stage.

"_That's where you are wrong". A hush voice hissed. _

"Whose there?" She stopped and called out.

_"You're very wrong, you selfish girl." The voice hissed again._

"No I'm not! You're wrong." She yelled angrily.

_"Take off the red shoes." The voice said. _

"No! I won't! These are my shoes! This is my part!" Melissa screamed in anger.

_"You are very wrong." The voice hissed. _

"Shut up! I am not wrong. I'm the best dancer. These are my shoes and no one can take them from me. No one!" She screamed like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

_"You want to bet?" the voice said. _

Melissa heard a clang from above her head. She looked up and screamed as large beam with lights crushed her.

Melissa's body lay there. Blood pool out around her. Her head had been crushed to a bloody pulp and her legs had been about six inches from her ankles. She was no longer wearing the red shoes. Her feet were covered by her own ballet shoes.

_"You are not worthy to wear the red shoes." _The voice said and the lights went out, as the curtain fell.

* * *

**So wonder what will happen next. When i wrote the last part i was picturing the Wizard of Oz when the house fell on top of the witch. Hope you guys are liking the story. Please Review.**

**I apologize for typos. My cat likes to lay on my lap when i'm typing sometimes she can be a big pain and dig her claws in my thigh or try to lay across my arms so i can't type and have to pet her.  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.  


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**Chapter 15**

Naru and Mai went back to the hotel. She and Naru looked at each other lovingly. Mai realized that Naru really did care about her. He had felt bad about her giving up that part and had wanted to make her happy.

They walked hand in hand into the lobby. Everything was perfect or so she thought.

Mai looked up and froze. Sitting on a couch in the lobby was Luke. He had been waiting for her. Luke got up from his seat and walked towards the couple.

"Hello, Mai." He smiled at her.

"Luke… What are you doing here?" Mai had not planned to see him.

"I haven't heard from you in awhile and I wanted to see if you were ok." He looked concerned.

"Well I've been doing some much need thinking. Sorry I worried you." Mai laughed nervously.

"You know Mai, I really care about you. I heard that you gave up the Red Shoes and I have this feeling it has something to do with him." Luke's eyes narrowed at Naru.

"I guess word travels fast." Mai said.

"We're talking about Melissa Tess. With her big head, she makes sure it does." Luke joked. Mai laughed. "But I want to let you know that if you need anything you can always depend on me." Luke leaned in and kissed Mai on the cheek and left.

Mai was no longer holding Naru's hand. She felt this sudden mix of emotions and wanted to be alone. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll talk to tomorrow or something." Mai turned away from Naru and walked to the elevators.

"Mai? Is something wrong?" Naru asked her. She stopped and turned to face him.

"I really don't know and that's why I need to be alone." Mai got in the elevator and the doors closed.

Mai went to her room and flopped onto her bed. She knew she wasn't in love with Luke, but she knew she loved to dance. It had finally sunken what she had done. She had given up something most dancers would dream about. All because Naru asked her and she said yes.

She was on love with Naru and it was affecting her judgment. She had a problem. A very serious problem indeed. Her heart was currently torn between her two loves. Naru, the man she cared so deeply for, and dancing, her life force.

Naru had asked her to choose between them and she had because she knew she could not live without dancing and Naru was just being a big ass.

How could she give up her passion? Could she ask Naru to give up ghost hunting and settle down and get married and have children and to work a boring 9 to 5 job?

She would never dream of it. She loved Naru for who he was and would never want him to give up what he love to do. What if someone had told Thomas Edison to stop inventing and spend time with your wife. **(Thomas Edison was a very bad husband to his first wife in my opinion. He deeply mourned her death and then like a week later married this young pretty rich girl) **

Tell Yo Yo Ma to give up music and work as a accountant. All the great artist and inventor and scholars have been pushed around and yet they never gave up. George Frederic Handel was forced to practice his music in secret because his father wanted him to be a lawyer.

As Mai lay on her bed, a thought came to her head. It was almost as if someone were speaking to her. Like she had heard someone say this before.

_A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love will never be a great dancer. __Never__._

"Why is this happening to me?" she shouted out loud. She had been getting this a lot lately. Like the other night when Naru had asked her why she wanted to dance. She could have sworn she had heard that conversation before.

"I gave up the Red Shoes for a guy!" She cried out. "Just because he's hot and he makes me feel mushy inside and then he has those eyes that make you melt and you can't get your words straight and so before you realize it your doing exactly as he says!" Mai pulled the pillow over her face and screamed.

She turned off the light and went to bed.

**Naru and Peter. **

Naru went back to his room. Peter was sitting there reading through files.

"Where's Melissa?" Naru asked. "I figured you to would be at it."

"She wanted to go to the theater so I dropped her off and came back here." Peter said. "I figured you would be spending the night with Mai again." This last sentence earned a growl from Naru.

"What are you doing right now?" Naru asked.

"Researching and I have found a lot. Want to hear?" Peter asked. Naru sat on his bed and gave his attention to Peter.

"So Victoria Page committed suicide and no one danced the Red Shoes after that." Peter started. "So about 10 years later. The company goes bankrupt. They are forced to sell the rights to all of their material. Which is according to the legend too. So Lermontov is still alive, but has been in poor health since Victoria's death."

"He tells them that no one should dance the Red Shoes ever again. It wouldn't be right because it should always be Victoria's part and no one else. He dies soon after and they decide to do the show."

"So the first show doesn't go to well. The lead ballerina has a heart attack right before curtain call. Everyone starts saying it's a curse and no one wants to do the show. So a year later things calm down and they try again. The lead ballerina gets hit by a car and dies. People begin to panic again."

"The next year they try another time, things are going good, but the ballerina starts to hemorrhage. Turned out she was pregnant and was having complications from a miscarriage. She too dies."

"At this point you can see a pattern. There are a few more deaths. A murder. A suicide, and a drug overdose. They just gave up after the seventh death. The last death occurred in 1948. That was seventeen years after Victoria Page died. The last night the show was performed, but without with no one playing the lead." Peter finished.

"Wait back up." Naru asked. "They performed without her that night?"

"Yes. It was a tribute to her." Peter explained. "Lermontov had said no one shall ever play her part so they ran the spot light to where she would have been and everyone performed as if she was dancing with them."

"So that leaves us to ask if is this a haunting or is this just a coincidence?" Naru was deep in thought. "All the deaths have explanations. Nothing mysterious about them. There only connection is that they were all set to play the lead."

"If this is a haunting I can think of only one person who could be behind it." Peter said. "Lermontov."

"It makes sense." Naru said. "I think it's time to call in for back up." He pulled out his laptop and sent Lin and email. Then he went to bed.

* * *

**The next day**

Mai was still the understudy. She could ask for the part back, but she couldn't do that to Melissa, even if she hated her guts.

Mai rushed to get ready. There was an early rehearsal and she couldn't be late. She grabbed her phone and ran to the theater. She was surprised to see a crowd.

"What's going on?" Mai tapped someone on the shoulder. The woman turned around and her eyes widened.

'"It's Mai Taniyama!" She cried. The bystanders turned and gasped. Soon the reporters were on her. She was surrounded.

"Miss Taniyama, what do you think about the curse?" a male reporter asked.

"Do you fear that you will be the next victim if they choose to continue the show?"

"Any comment on the death of Melissa Tess?" A woman asked.

"What do you think about her legs being severed?" she was asked.

"America wants to know boxers or briefs?"

Mai was going blind from all the camera flashes. She was being jostled by the crowd. She felt like a prey being picked apart by the vultures. Her brain tried to comprehend what she was hearing, but it was just a jumbled mess of confusion.

_Melissa, curse, death, legs severed, victim, boxers or briefs? _

Mai felt panic set in. She very close to having a nervous breakdown of some kind. She could feel the tears come as the hysteria began to set in.

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know!" Mai cried. She could feel the hands pulling at her as they called out her name.

"Mai."

"Miss Taniyama!"

"Mai Taniyama?"

Finally the someone got to Mai and pulled her from the chaos. "Back of! Before I beat you all to a bloody pulp!" Mai heard a female voice scream in Japanese.

"Believe me she will too." A male voice replied also in Japanese.

Mai was rushed into the nearest building which was an big stone church with heavy wooden doors. Mai was set down on one of the benches. She could breathe again and took several deep breaths as instructed.

"Mai sweetie, are you alright?" Mai felt familiar gentle hands hold her face. She was looking into the concerned face of Ayako.

"Ayako…?" Mai was surprised to see her. She looked around and saw the rest of the SPR team there. "You guys… What? How?" Mai stumbled with her words.

"Naru emailed Lin and we all immediately got on a flight and came here." Ayako explained.

"By the way Mai, you have a very nice private jet." Yasuhara smiled.

"What is going on? Those people were shouting all of this stuff… What happened?" Mai may have been slightly confused by everything thing, but she knew someone was wrong.

"I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?" Ayako asked. Mai nodded. 'There seems to have been an accident. This morning Melissa Tess's body was discovered. It appears some large equipment broke loose and crushed her."

"I heard someone say her legs were severed?" Mai asked.

"Yes they were." Lin said.

Mai took a deep breath. The door opened and in came Naru.

"Well everyone we now officially have a case." Naru announced.

"What's going on?" Mai looked from Naru to everyone else.

"Naru has convinced the board of directors to let us investigate." Masako said.

"Investigate? Are talking about the rumors about the curse?" Mai asked. "I told you there is no curse it's just a story."

"Either way, this gives us an excuse to being in the theatre with you. Since you are now back to playing the lead." Naru said coldly. Mai had forgotten to tell him she was still the under study.

"So Mai could you please explain what exactly has been going on? They said you gave up the lead and that you stayed on as the under study." Monk asked her.

"Well. Its kind of long story so I'll try to make it short." Mai cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Naru believes that this ballet was cursed and wanted me to quit. So after seducing me-"

"I didn't seduce you! You kissed me first!" Naru interrupted.

"Yeah, but who carried who into the bedroom." Mai shot back and then continued "He convinced me to quit. So I go in to quit, but they told me to at least stay on as the understudy. So I tell Melissa and give her the shoes on a loan. Now she's dead and I'm back as the lead I guess."

"So Naru thinks there's a curse and you don't believe him?" John asked.

"Yes and don't you start with this curse thing either." Mai warned not only John, but everyone else.

"If you will all follow me, I will brief you on everything." Naru walked out of the church's back door and through the side door of the theatre.

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**So as you can see. Mai is now back in the lead and the gang has returned. What will happen next? Please Review. **

**I'm not sure how fast you can fly from Japan to New York, but since this is fiction it doesn't have to follow the rules of time, space, and distance.  
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	16. Chapter 16

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review. This is the squeal to Lost.**

**I found a new way to write. Before I would listen to music and then write and it would get me in the mood for the chapter I was writing. Now I'm addicted to frontierville on facebook. I delete Farmville only to become hooked on the next thing. So now I write and then check my farm then go back and write then check my farm.. Its addicting. Don't do it! You are warned.

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**Chapter 16**

Mai was sitting at a conference table with the rest of SPR. Naru and Peter were going through all the information they had gathered so far. **(For those who have forgotten quick list and recap.)**

** First we had the story about the "curse".**

** Then we find the fairytale the Red Shoes, which was where the girl could not stop dancing and they cut off her feet…etc..**

** Then the research gathered on Victoria Page, which included when she started to work for Lermontov and then how she met Julian Craster, he gets fired and she quits and they get married. Her suicide.**

** The information about the other 7 deaths of the leads. Lermontov saying that no one should every perform the Red Shoes. **

"So as you can see why people would declare that this was some kind of a curse." Naru concluded with the information.

"So do you think this is really the work of a curse?" John asked.

"I have some theories about this." Naru continued. "When dealing with the paranormal we discuss energy. The most accept scientific explanation for paranormal activity is energy."

"Like the energy of a psychic. Without training they could cause activity to occur." Masako said.

"That is one such case." Naru said.

"The energy footprint left behind by those who have passed." Yasuhara added.

"Another example, but there is another form." Naru went on. "As we know people are the cause for most haunting. How do you explain strong paranormal activity coinciding with a legend, but having not historical data to support it? In fact having information that pegs the story as being false?" Naru asked the group.

No one answered. So Naru went on to explain.

"The power of belief." He told them. "When you have enough people believing in something is takes on a life of its own. That is the one that I am more inclined to believe."

"So what you're saying is that the curse only became real because enough people believed in it?" Monk asked.

"Yes. That is one of the theories." Naru said coolly.

"So how do you fight it?" Ayako asked.

"First you work to dispel the belief in the curse. Then reinforce it with positive energy of all kinds." Peter explained.

"What are the other theories?" Yasuhara asked. Mai was still quiet she seemed to be off in her own world thinking hard about something.

"That this is a haunting and the ghost is Boris Lermontov. Or this is just nothing, but bad luck." Naru concluded.

"Would you like me to walk around and see if I can sense anything?" Masako asked.

"If you don't mind." Naru replied. "Take Yasuhara with you." The two left the room. "John, I would like you to go around and bless the place and say some prays."

"Yes sir." John smiled and left.

"I think I'll go talk to my parents and see what other information I can get on Melissa's death." Peter said and he too left.

Mai got up and was about to leave when Naru caught her by the arm. "Naru, what are you doing? Let go." Mai protested.

"Mai, I would like to for you to be on guard. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I don't want to take any chances." and he let go of her arm.

"Alright I will." Mai sighed. She turned to her guardians now. "So what about Noba, Sparky, and Snook? Where are they? Whose taking care of them?" Mai asked.

"They're here, but they'll be in quarantine for a few days." Monk explained.

"Do you think we could leave them behind?" Ayako smiled.

Mai's face lit up. She had missed her pets so much. As Mai later found out, her trustee made arrangements for everyone to be on the same floor. The room arrangements were John and Lin, Monk and Ayako, Masako got her own room, Peter and Yasuhara, and Naru would be staying with Mai.

Mai was not too thrilled by this information. She was confused and having Naru right there was not going to help. At least her suite had another bedroom so she wouldn't have to see him when she didn't want to. **(Mai is confusing, but love is a confusing matter) **There was a knock on the door and in came a stage manager.

"Mai, the director would like to talk to you." She said.

"Ok I'll be right there." Mai answered. She turned back to her guardians. "So when I'm done or have some free time I'll introduce you to people and show you around. See ya." Mai left the room and headed towards the directors office.

She knocked on the door and entered. "You wanted to see me?" She asked him.

"Yes. Please have a seat." He motioned to one of the chairs. Mai sat down and he continued. "I saw your ambush on the news just now. I assume that you know what has happened?"

"Well all I know is that Melissa was killed in an accident. Is the show still on?" She asked.

"For the time being it is. I assume that you know about the "curse" as well. I did not want to bring it up and jinx the show or enforce people's superstitions so I did not mention the history that day." He told her.

"Honestly sir, everyone already knew about it. I don't believe in this curse. It won't scare me away." She said to him.

"That's what I was hoping to hear." He reached into his draw and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a white cloth. Mai could feel her heart beat faster she knew what was coming. "I would like to give these back to you. You are the rightful owner." He unwrapped the cloth and there were the Red Shoes.

* * *

**Yasuhara and Masako**

"So you can't sense anything?" Yasuhara asked.

"No nothing at all. I do feel a strange aura around Mai, but it doesn't appear to be anything." Masako answered.

"So what do we do now?" Yasuhara asked.

"I guess we should report back to Naru." Masako replied. She and Yasuhara walked back to the conference room that had been turned into base.

"Anything?" Lin asked from behind his laptop.

"Nothing. I do not feel anything resembling a spirit or a curse." Masako said.

"But she said she felt something strange about Mai's aura." Yasuhara injected.

"Hmmm. So maybe there is nothing to this haunting, but Naru still wants to investigate." Lin said. Naru came back with Peter. He had a large manila envelope in his hand.

"Lin I have some footage and audio of the stage when Melissa Tess was killed." Naru pulled out the disk and inserted it into the computer. "Enhance the audio." He ordered Lin.

Everyone seemed to return then. John came back from his blessings and Ayako and Monk with Mai. They all gathered around to see the footage.

"There are several different angles from the security cameras. Lets review them all." Naru ordered.

They started out with closet one to Melissa. They watched as she entered the stage and the _lights came on. The audio was enhanced and everything could be heard clearly. _

_ "Finally you are mine!" She said in a hush voice. "I've rescued you from that poor excuse of a dancer." _

"No I told you could borrow them. And I'm a way better dancer than you, I would have jumped out of the way instead of being crushed. Idiot!" Mai snapped she hated to see Melissa with her shoes.

Everyone gave Mai a strange look. Mai was hot tempered….

_ "I'm the greatest dancer ever! I was meant to play this lead. No one can compare to me." She sang out happily as she dance around the stage._

_ "That's where you are wrong". A hush voice hissed. _

"Mark that spot." Naru told Lin.

_ "Whose there?" She stopped and called out. _

_ "You're very wrong, you selfish girl." The voice hissed again._

_ "No I'm not! You're wrong." She yelled angrily. _

_ "Take off the red shoes." The voice said. _

_ "No! I won't! These are my shoes! This is my part!" Melissa screamed in anger. _

_ "You are very wrong." The voice hissed. _

_ "Shut up! I am not wrong. I'm the best dancer. These are my shoes and no one can take them from me. No one!" She screamed like a child throwing a temper tantrum. _

_ "You want to bet?" the voice said. _

This was the part where Melissa looks up and screams and is crushed to death. Everyone gasped.

_ Melissa's body lay there. Blood pooled out around her. Her head had been crushed to a bloody pulp and her legs had been about six inches from her ankles. She was no longer wearing the red shoes. Her feet were covered by her own ballet shoes. _

_ "You are not worthy to wear the red shoes." The voice said and the lights went out, as the curtain fell. _

"You still don't believe in this curse or haunting?" Naru asked her. Mai was quiet. She seemed calm. It was strange considering how Mai normally was when confronted with something as grotesque and frightening as that clip was.

"Maybe there is something, but I'm not going to quit and I'm not worried." Mai looked him straight in the eye.

"Mai, you can't be serious!" Monk yelled. Everyone was shocked by this comment.

"The shoes choose me. I won't be hurt. The show must go on and I will dance because that is who I am." Mai looked so determined. She and Naru were having a glaring contest.

The rest of the team watched, waiting for someone to break. Surprisingly that person was Naru.

"Alright. Fine. I can't stop you, but if something happens, it will be on you." His voice was menacing as he said that last part. This did not phase Mai. She smiled.

"That's fine because nothing is going to happen." She turned as her name was called. She had to get to rehearsal. "Well see you tonight roomie. Oh and by the way I go to bed early and get up early so I hope that won't be a problem." Mai knew Naru hated to be woken up. She was hoping maybe he would stay with someone else. She would rather have Masako.

"That won't be a problem roomie." He replied in his cool manner. He knew what kind of a game Mai was playing and he intended to be the winner.

* * *

**An interesting fact I haven't shared. Back when I was writing Dance with Death and I was looking up names. I discovered Mai means dance. Which when I was writing Lost and started this story I had forgotten till I had gotten to chapter 6. **

**I thought it was funny how some of you guys felt bad about Melissa's death while the were thought she deserved it. I made her as mean as possible so that I wouldn't feel bad about it. I'm one of those people who feels bad about killing off characters. You should see me with the Sims. I have played all three and let me tell you, I think it will be fun to see how they die or something like that, but then in the end I can't do it because I get attached or i feel guilty so someone else has to do it. **


	17. Chapter 17

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review!

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**Chapter 17**

Mai was different in some ways, but still the same in others. It was very confusing to the rest of SPR. Masako had said that Mai's aura is different than it was before. This worried everyone. Was Mai changing? If she was, was it due to supernatural reasons or just growing up?

Mai rehearsed like crazy. She felt so alive when she was dancing. She already knew the moves before she was even told what to do. It came to her naturally. She didn't want to admit that it was the red shoes. She knew that there was no curse and Lermontov was not haunting this ballet, but at the same time she knew there was something.

She could tell Naru. She was avoiding him as much as possible. She knew what was going on, but couldn't let the others know. If they found out what was really happening they would try to stop Mai.

Mai believed in herself. She knew she was right and she knew what had to be done, but most importantly she knew she was the only one who could do it. The slippers had chosen her. **(Ok Mai knows what's going on. The audience and SPR do not. So don't get confused all will be revealed eventually.)**

Mai brought her pets with her everywhere. Sparky seemed to want to stay close to Naru. Snook just wanted to lay somewhere and sleep. He was always lazy. Noba liked to roam around.

Mai was more worried about Sparky. He was such a small cat and he was deaf. He was no longer considered a kitten, but he was still the same size. Naru didn't mind having him around. He allowed the kitten to stay in his coat pocket or slung over his shoulder.

It was a rather comical sight. Naru with his black jacket and pants, and his dark hair with a tiny white kitten with eyes as blue as his.

No one seemed to mind the animals. All three were super popular among the cast and stage hands. Snook slept where ever. Mai was afraid Noba's bad habits would cause problems, but he was surprisingly well behaved.

"So when did you learn to be so good?" Mai talked to him in a sweet voice. "You never were this good before. I bet Ayako scared you into behaving while I was gone. I warned you not to chew on her things." She giggled as Noba happily wagged his tail and barked.

"Mai, its time for your fitting." Someone called her.

"Ok, I'll be right there." Mai ran off. Noba ran towards base. Where he sat at Lin's feet. It was a game to him. See how long it takes for Lin to pay attention to him aka "lets bug Lin till he is forced to play me." Everyone thought this was amusing to watch.

Noba sat at Lin's feet and stared at him. He learned not to bark because if he did he would be scolded. So instead he whined and whimpered doing all his trick. Laying down, sitting pretty, giving paw, the high five, and many more, but there was one trick that got to everyone. It was his secret weapon, paw covering the face.

Lin continued to ignore the puppy, but he was starting to break. That was when Noba brought in the secret weapon. He whimpered and covered his face. Even Naru could not resist this.

"Awww." Masako said.

"It's so cute and sad!" Monk cried. He was always an easy target.

"Poor puppy. Lin is just a big meanie." Yasuhara said.

Ayako was silent. She too could not resist, but she was better at the discipline than Monk or Mai. Especially when she saw Noba chewing on her things. He didn't chew on anyone else's belonging, but hers.

Lin growled in frustrations and the sighed. He reached down and petted the dog. Noba jumped up and landed in his lap. He put his paws on Lin's chest and began licking him.

"Awww." Everyone cried at the scene. Lin's annoyed yet defeated face held a hint of amusement.

"Ok fine you're cute. Happy now? I said it." Noba gave a small bark and turned and positioned himself in front of the computer. Lin continued his typing while Noba sat on his lap and watched.

* * *

**Mean while…**

Naru was making note of all the places he wanted the team to place charms. Sparky was now riding in the front pocket of his jacket. He was the friendliest cat, but he had exceptions.

Naru was writing on his note pad when a girl came up to him to flirt. She didn't get too far. Sparky was there to protect what belonged to Mai. Naru especially enjoyed having Sparky around for that reason. He didn't have to deal with the girls who tried to flirt with him.

As the girl began to talk and get closer to Naru, Sparky hissed showing off his sharp fangs. The girl instantly backed away. Sparky kept hissing and then made growl noise that signaled attack mode. The girl made some excuse and ran off.

Naru with Sparky made his way back to base. As Naru entered the room, he noticed that Noba had once again won against Lin. He smirked as he watched the dog reach up and lick Lin and then go back to intently watching the typing.

"Listen up." Everyone looked at him intently. "I have made a list of all the place I would like to have charms place. I have talked with a the stage managers and they have allowed up to place charms on the stage, but to make sure they are not scene."

"So how are we supposed to do that?" Ayako asked. "Are you going to stand there the whole time we put them up and tell us if its wrong?"

"I have more important things to do than to baby sit all of you for something like that, which is why you will be supervised by the stage mangers." Naru smirked.

"So can we discuss Mai?" Monk asked.

"What about Mai?" Naru asked.

"Masako said her aura was different. What does that mean?" Yasuhara asked.

"It could mean a number of things really." Masako explained. "It could be that something is interfering and that is what I'm picking up along with Mai's aura. Or she is simply going through a change. People go through changes all the time."

"So Mai is changing?" John asked. He was some what confused.

"Who we are decides how our aura is. Shape, color, and feeling. A child most likely will not have the same aura when he or she grows up. The emotional and physical changes that we go through will characterize their aura.

"In Mai's case, her aura was very constant. She seemed to have a good understanding for who she was. When her memories were restored her aura was different at first, but then soon after returned to its previous state. Mai being a young adult, her aura is most likely to change as she does." Masako finished. **(Totally made that up just now. Hope it sounded professional.) **

"So this shouldn't be any cause for alarm?" Yasuhara asked.

"Well that depends. It could be that she is being influenced, but considering the recent love life complications" Masako gave Naru a look. "that could also be a cause. Also maybe it has to do with career decisions. It could be anything that mean a lot to Mai."

A stage assistant appeared and called the team, with the exception of Lin and Naru, to put the charms up on the stage. Noba hopped down and followed them. He barked and happily rolled around as the team used extreme precision to place the charms.

"Arrrggghhh!" Ayako exclaimed as she broke another nail.

"You're off. Move it more to the left- no that's too far." The manager yelled.

"How's this one?" Monk asked

"I can still see it from here. Do it again." Another manger ordered.

"These had better work." Monk grumbled under his breath.

Mai walked out onto the stage and Noba ran to her. She picked him up and cuddled him. When she had finished she turned her attention back to the team.

"What are you guys doing?" Mai asked as she walked to the ladder that monk was standing on and looked up.

"Placing charms around the stage so that no one can see them." He answered sounding tired and irritated.

"You're wasting your time. I mean those won't do anything. No offense." Mai said.

"Good then we can stop." Said Yasuhara as he wobbled on his ladder.

"Yes. Please stop before you get hurt. Seriously. You could break your neck." Mai sounded worried.

"Naru told us to do this. We should listen to him." John said.

"Look I know you all think I'm crazy and stupid, but I know what I'm talking about and those won't do anything." Mai said.

"Fine then, we'll stop and do as you say, but you better be prepared to explain." Yasuhara came down him ladder. The others came to the center of the stage where there was a clear spot.

The various members groaned as they slumped onto the floor. The pain staking task of placing the charms had drained them.

"So what has been with you? You have been so moody and weird." Yasuhara asked.

"Oh. Sorry about that." She blushed. "I have been confused and I think I kind of short circuited my emotions. The last couple of days have been up and down. I think I got a handle on it now." Mai was still holding Noba. He seemed to enjoy being treated like a baby.

"That's understandable I guess." Yasu agreed.

"So what's with you and Naru?" Masako asked.

"What do you mean?" Mai asked. She didn't understand why they were asking these kinds of questions and not the why she said the charms wouldn't work.

"Are you fighting or flirting or what?" she asked.

"Well its complicated. I am angry at him, but not for back in Japan. I can get over that. I tired of him coming in and saving the day. He won't admit that he is wrong and that he can't do anything. Then he thinks that he can just make himself at home in my suite!" That had only last a day because Mai and Naru had been slamming their doors shouting "Fine!" at each other.

"Yeah, but that's not an issue anymore. Naru has my room and I'm rooming with you." Masako reminded her.

"So what do you mean that Naru is wrong?" Ayako asked.

"About this curse nonsense and that dead director guy being the one causing this." Mai said. "I know exactly what's going on.. well sort of, but I get it."

"So what is going on?' Monk asked her. "You could at least tell us so we don't go around wasting out time."

"Ok well everything that happened in the past. I'm referring to the deaths. They have nothing to do with this. Just bad luck. Its not that.. I think his name was Boris? Well its not him and there is no curse."

"We get that Naru is wrong, now could you tell us what instead of what it isn't!" Ayako snapped.

"It's Victoria and the shoes." Mai said flatly. "She wants to dance. She has been waiting a very long time for her last dance. That's why I know she won't harm us."

"What about Melissa? She was killed." John asked.

"Well that…. Well I don't think Victoria wanted to be someone who was that big of…. Well you know what I mean." Mai said.

"So when you say she wants to dance one last time…." Monk said slowly.

"I will let her possess me partially while dancing. That's the only time she comes. When I have the red shoes on and I'm dancing. Once I finish the show she will be able to move on." Mai finished.

"Are you crazy?" Ayako yelled after a period of silence as it all sunk in. "She committed suicide and someone has died!"

"Look it's not she completely takes over. Its move like I possess her. I'm taping into her memories and thoughts and feelings. That also is why I've been all moody. It's hard to handle sometimes." Mai got defensive making Noba get defensive. 'sshh, Noba." Mai disciplined him.

"Mai, do you know how crazy this is? As your guardian, I'm putting my foot down." Monk crossed his arms and stamped his foot trying to make his point, but just looking like a goof.

"Meet too!" Ayako went to stand next to Monk. It was their way of showing that they backed each other up. "We will drag you back to Japan on the next fight if we have to."

"Well you can't. Here I am a legal adult and that would be considered kidnapping and would be an international crime." Mai was impressed with herself.

Ayako and Monk look at each other for something to come back with.

"Well… you… " Monk tried to start. "What do I saw, Ayako?

"Mai, don't be difficult." Ayako was looking at her sternly. It made her look older.

"Wow Ayako when you make that face you remind me of my elementary school teacher. She was old and mean. I swear she was so old she walked with a cane and then used it to trip people-" Yasuhara was saying.

"I'm not old!" Ayako screamed. Mai looked over and realized how strange they all must have looked right now. They had all been yelling in Japanese. Everyone had been watching them fight the whole time.

"This is better than Jerry Springer!" Mai heard someone whisper.

"Look guys I know what I'm doing. I have been reading up." Mai said proudly.

"Mai you can't learn this stuff from a book! It takes experience and time." Monk said to her.

"And besides it's not like there's a Speaking to the Dead for Dummies." Ayako said sarcastically.

"Well actually.." Mai reached in her bag and pulled out the book. "there is and they have more." Mai reached in again and pulled out Exercising the Dead for Dummies, Possession for Dummies, The Paranormal for Dummies, Psychometry for Dummies, Curses for Dummies, and Vengeful Spirits for Dummies. "I have other books too about different theories. I forgot that I had a photographic memory." Mai laughed.

"You forgot that you had a photographic memory?" Masako said slowly.

"If I don't see it written down. I'll forget or I don't see it being done, I'll forget. That's why was able to pass when I had to do all those activities. All I have to do it see it once and I have in here." Mai pointed to her head and smiled.

"Well this explains a lot." Yasuhara said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mai asked get defensive again. This was no cause for concern because Mai had always been a hot head.

"This is why when someone tells you something it tends to not stick. At least Naru can't say it's because you're stupid." Yasuhara grinned at her. Mai began to laugh.

"For some reason Yasu, I don't think that will make any difference to him." Mai said and everyone joined in laughing with her.

* * *

**Ok so we're getting near the end and so I have worked out the plot for the next story in the series. Haven't decided on the title yet. Things have a tendency of coming at the last minute. **

**Hoped you liked the chapter. Please Review. **


	18. Chapter 18

**This is more of a bonus chapter for humor purposes. Maybe I went a little over board, but I come from a family with a sick sense of humor. Its gentic. Me, my sister, and my dad tend to laugh when people fall and etc. I went on this trail with the guy I'm dating and he for some reason went down this embankment and wiped out and scraped up his arms and I just lost it and start to laugh at him. I apologized and asked if he was ok, which he was. He seemed to understand the sick sense of humor. **

**Today i am officially 21! Should be exciting, but it doesn't really matter to me. I don't really drink and bars are a no go for me because i attract creepers in general and mix in a bar and you get drunk creepers.  
**

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**Chapter 18**

So Naru was wrong. He had been right about it being a possible haunting, but he had the wrong ghost. He sat in his room thinking about past few days. Opening night was just a week away.

Naru was still back at square one. He may have known what was going on, he had no way of fixing it. He kept thinking about how all their methods had failed Everyone took a stab at trying to exercise the shoes and Mai.

Nothing worked. Mai had told them that they wouldn't work because Victoria was not technically possessing anyone.

* * *

**Monk's attempt.**

Monk had tried his mantra and anything else he could think of. When he had finished they turned to Mai who was sitting with her arms crossed.

"Do you feel differently at all?" Yasuhara asked.

"Did it work?" John turned to Masako.

"Nothing has changed from before." She answered.

"Can I go now? I have to get to a rehearsal." Mai said nonchalantly.

* * *

**Ayako's try.**

She too said her chants and ran through her usual stuff, but noting was different. Mai tapped her foot impatiently.

"I have to use the bathroom. Could like let me go and then continue?" Mai asked she began to squeeze her thighs together.

"No, this has to be done. So hold it in." Ayako told her.

After about an hour of failures, they finally let the now whimpering Mai use the bathroom.

* * *

**John's turn. **

John read his prays and sprits Mai with holy water. Mai wouldn't have minded except it was constant and she was starting to get really wet.

"Maybe Mai's not possessed." John eventually said.

"I told you." Mai said.

"You told us that she came when you wore the red shoes and danced. We have tried that and still nothing." Naru said.

"I said that it's like I'm tapping into. I still have full control. She just wants one last chance to dance and then she can move on. Why can't she have that?" Mai looked up at Naru with pleading eyes.

"Because it's too risky." Naru told her.

"But what if-" Mai kept trying to make suggestions that no one wanted to hear.

"No buts! Why can't you let me do my job?" Naru yelled at her. Mai looked up at him. She was tired and so was everyone else. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She didn't have to energy to fight with Naru about who was right and who was wrong.

"Fine. Whatever you say, but if all of you r methods fail. I'm taking matters into my own hands and you can kiss my ass." Mai said very calmly and coolly accept her last words were a little more menacing.

* * *

**Faith healer**

After Lin's failed exorcism, Naru was open to more creative ways. Most of which he would usually think to be nothing but bull, but he was desperate.

He took Mai to a faith healer. They pulled the reluctant Mai onto the stage. The man shouted a lot and the people shout into response.

"Amen!"

Mai turned to Naru and gave a look that said. "You have got to be kidding me! Is this the best you could do?" to which Naru returned with the iciest of glares.

"This poor child of god! Let's all pray!" the man shouted again and crowd replied with another round of "Amen".

Mai didn't mind the hymns. They were actually very nice and catchy. She sang along with everyone else and got into the dancing and jumping around. Naru just stood there with his arms crossed.

The man finally grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. Mai almost tripped to which the man did not notice. He yelled some more things involving praying and of course the audience would cry amen in response.

Finally the man placed his hand on her head and when he was finished talking pushed Mai backwards.

Apparently this was a common thing and the people you were with would catch you. The only problem with that was she was on the stage with Naru who made no effort catch her.

So in the most ungraceful manner Mai fell backwards crashing into a fountain thing that was used for baptism.

She reached out to grab something to catch her fall. Her hand grabbed onto a green palm leaf thing which snapped off. So where did Mai land you are probably asking right about now?

Well lucky for Mai her fall was broken. The only problem, the object in question was the piano which was being played by a rather round and plump teenage boy. As Mai hit the piano there was a loud clang of the keys as the boy screamed like a girl and tried to flee. Papers, candles, and hymn books flew into the air.

The piano collapsed, (it wasn't a very sturdy one.) sending Mai rolling off of it and onto the floor. Back to the boy who tried to flee, emphasizing _tried_ because he did not succeed. He ended up tripping over the hem of his large robe and falling on top of Mai.

The rest of SPR who were sitting nearby stood up and craned to get a look at the situation. Naru and the others left on the stage hastened to the edge where Mai had fallen. They peeked over to look.

The floor was littered with papers and other items that had been on the piano or that Mai had crashed into on her way down. The fountain thing that Mai had crashed into and broken was spraying water all over the two.

As the boy tried to get up he managed to slip and fall back on top of Mai.

Even though she was being crushed, she managed to scream out in Japanese. "I'm going to kill you, Naru!"

"Well at least she can still yell." Peter said trying to be positive. He looked to his side to see Monk's shaking figure. He was trying really hard not to laugh.

"Monk!" Masako scolded him. "This is not the time to laugh. We should be helping Mai."

"I'm- sorry- I can't- help it!" Monk was laughing uncontrollably. "I mean look at them!" he pointed at the boy's attempts to get up and touching Mai's boob and lingering too long.

"Get off of me!" Mai was yelling in Japanese.

"Sorry!" the boy cried as he flopped

Mai continued to yell in Japanese. No one seemed to want to venture over to help. They were afraid of what Mai would do.

The rest of SPR was laughing. The rest of the audience looked at them as if they were crazy. Of course that might have been because they were all speaking Japanese again.

Mai finally managed to get free and stood up. She walked up onto the stage to where Naru was. He had her purse in his one hand. She snatched it out of his hand and went to walk away.

Naru was a little relieved at first. _I actually got off easy…_ Not! Mai had stopped and turned around. She gave him a good smack in the head with her purse, much like what Ayako did to Monk at times of extreme rage, and stormed off.

She then walked over to the snickering SPR team and glared. They quickly stopped laughing. Lin opened his mouth to speak, but Mai raised her hand to stop him.

"Save it." She said angrily. She then stomped out. They followed after her and into the lobby where they were alone.

"Mai wait! Don't act like this." Monk called out to her.

"Act like what?" she yelled and throw her purse on the ground.

"Like a prima donna." Monk answered.

"Don't even start! You!" She pointed to Naru. "This is your fault! You were supposed to catch me. You dragged us here!" she turned back to the rest of them "and you all let him!"

"Well did you really expect us to argue with Naru?" Yasuhara pointed out.

"Ok fine! But where were you all when I was trapped under that- that- argghhhh- that stupid perverted boy?"

No one responded.

"That's right," Mai continued "You guys were standing there watching and laughing away as I got squashed, drenched, and groped!" She began to cry now. "That was the most embarrassing moment of my life!" she wailed. "and it was witnessed by hundreds of people." She sobbed into her hands.

"Well actually it was more considering they were broadcasting this live." Yasuhara chimed in. Mai cried harder and ran off into the restroom.

"Did you have to point that out to her?" Masako asked as she punched in the arm. "Now she's in the bathroom."

"Hey! Just because we're dating doesn't mean you can hit me!" Yasuhara and Masako began to fight.

Ayako and Monk stood by the restroom doors and tried to talk Mai out of the restroom and then started to yell each other for saying the wrong thing.

To those who were passing by. It was probably the most entertaining thing that had ever seen. Naru finally got involved when he noticed people snapping pictures of the screaming Japanese people.

Some how Naru managed to scare all the people away, while John tried to keep the peace. Lin was ordered to go into the bathroom and take Mai out by force if necessary. In the end they all made it back to the hotel in one piece. Dr. Krissy made a special trip to see Mai to make sure she didn't try and lock herself in her room.

* * *

**Voodoo Witchdoctor **

Mai said she would not listen to anymore of Naru's suggestions. So it was Yasuhara who came up with the next plan. **(I saw this on an episode of Monk.)**

He had them go see a Voodoo Witchdoctor. Or at least that's what he claimed to be. Mai looked at he man. He was dressed all in black like Naru. He had on a large brim hat. He had an herb shop by china town. Although he wasn't Asian at all.

He seemed to stutter a lot. Like he was always nervous.

He poured the different things together into a goblet and burned some candles and incense.

"Ok now I- I jus- just have to read from this b—book." He picked up the book and started to read some weird phrases. Mai was impatient. She was still upset about the other night and just wanted to get this over with.

"This is taking too long." She said and reached out and drank from the goblet. She downed it fast and then began to cough. "Ulllghh what was that?" she coughed and sputtered.

"What are you doing?" the guy yelled out in horror.

"Trying to make this go faster. What's next?" Mai croaked out.

"Call 911!"

"What?" Everyone turned to him in confusion.

"Just call 911!" he yelled again frantically.

"What's wrong?" Mai groaned she was starting to feel sick.

"You weren't supposed to drink it!" he cried waving his hands around.

"Then why was it in a goblet?" Naru yelled.

"That was all I had to use!" The man cried out. He was afraid of Naru. "You were supposed to just rub it on you."

Mai groaned. She was starting to feel the effects of whatever she ingested. The paramedics arrived and asked what was in it.

"Well there was some chicken blood, grave yard dirt, horse hair…" he began to list the ingredients that only sounded worse as he went on.

Mai reached over and took the plastic shopping bag that Ayako had grabbed for her. Mai began to vomit. After she cleared her stomach out, she leaned back on the stretcher and groaned and moaned. She had never felt anything like this.

She was taken to the hospital and was treated. She was kept over night for observation. The gave her something to maker her pain go away and knock her out. She would be able to attend rehearsal no problem. But she was going to have some very strange dreams

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**I don't think Mai was over reacting about the Faith Healer incident. I know if it was me, I would have died of embarrassment and been crying even harder. It one thing to fall when your with friends and laugh it off, but if its in front of that many people and that embarrassing. I fall a lot and back when i was in high school and middle school i have fall on the steps. Landing on my butt or hands and knees. The one time i twisted my ankle and my two guy friends were laughing but then apologized and asked if i was ok.**  
**I'm the can't walk and text at the same time or else i fall or run into stuff. The one friend who laughed at me, he goes to the same college as me and when he sees me on campus he tries to trip me. Great  
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	19. Chapter 19

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.

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**Chapter 19**

Mai lay in the hospital bed sleeping. Maybe it was the drugs they had pumped into her to, she honestly didn't know, but she had the strangest and most confusing dream.

_Mai was sitting in a dressing room. She pulled out the red shoes and placed them on her feet and admired them. She was in her costume for the show. A stage hand came in and told her she had 5 minutes. _

_ Mai felt as if she were being reunited with an old friend. She hadn't danced in so long she had quiet for her husband. She turned on the radio. Julian had a new Opera premiering tonight. He would be too busy to realize where she was. _

_ She hated having to lie to him, but he would try to stop her. She wanted this so bad. She stretched and listened to the announcer. _

_ "Julian Craster has taken ill and will not be conducting tonight…" The man said. _

_ Mai looked up quickly. Julian wasn't conducting tonight. Then that would mean… She didn't have a chance to finish her thought. _

_ "Hello Vicky." Julian was standing in the doorway of her dressing room. _

_ "Julian…" she said in muted shock. "But…"_

_ "Vicky, get dressed. We have to catch the train." He said sternly._

_ "Julian please…"_

_ "What's going on here?" Boris entered the room. Mai watched as Julian and Boris argued. _

_ "Vicky darling, are you coming?" Julian embraced her lovingly. _

_ "Julian, please don't make me choose." Mai cried. He let go of her and bid her farewell. _

_ "Julian." She sobbed and collapsed in her chair. Boris came over to her and tried to console her. _

_ "__Sorrow will pass, believe me. Life is so unimportant. And from now onwards, you will dance like nobody ever before." He said and then left her with her dressing room attendants. _

_ Mai was still crying as they led her to the stage. She suddenly stopped and broke away from them. She ran down the hall. She knew where she was going. She ran outside to the balcony that overlooked the train station. She could hear Julian cry out to her as she leapt from the railing and fell to the hard stone ground. _

_ "Oh Vicky darling. No. No." she could hear Julian sob as the crowd gathered around her broken dying body. _

_ "Julian," she said softly to him. "take off the red shoes." And those where her last words._

_ Mai could feel herself being spinning out of control. She was surrounded by darkness now. She felt scared and confused. She was back in the theatre running for her life. She was being followed. _

_ Her heart raced as she tried to out run whatever it was that was after her. She it wanted her and it wanted her badly. Everything was distorted in the strange blackness. The halls became a maze. _

_ Mai cried out for someone to help her. She knew she was dream, but she could not wake up. "Someone please, help me!" her hysterical cries went unanswered. _

_ "Gene! Please help me!" she cried out as she reached a dead end. She clutched at herself as the black mass descended upon her. She let out a high pitched shriek. _

Mai sat bolt out of bed. She was covered in sweat and was panting. She looked around to see she was in a hospital room. "that right" she remembered the voodoo witch doctor's body rub that she mistakenly drank.

She was surprised to see Naru sleeping in the chair across the room. She would have felt bad for him spending the night with her except:

1) He was sleeping in a big cushy recliner and she had a hard uncomfortable hospital bed.

2) She didn't ask him to stay with her and in fact she had told everyone to go back to the hotel.

3) She was still pissed off about the faith healer incident.

She wasn't so much pissed off at Yasuhara for the voodoo witch doctor incident because that was more her fault. She should have known better than to drink something that smell that bad and looked that unappealing.

She flopped back on her pillows and exhaled. "That had to be more than a dream." She thought to herself. "Vicky… Victoria…" she repeated the name in her head. "They all loved her very much, but what an asshole for threatening to leave you if you danced. God! Vicky darling. Yeah Julian I hope you and Boris are happy for making her go nuts." She continued to think it over.

"So that must have been the final moments of her life… what about the last part though? I don't understand what was that thing that was chasing me? It had no shape, but it was huge and it felt so evil….." She sat up quickly as it finally came to her. She was remember something that Naru had mentioned to her when he first showed up.

He had told her that Gene had visited him and told him something about the darkness that has been following her. She slowly began to think about the events. Maybe there was something more than just Victoria.

Melissa's death was too brutal for just an unfortunate accident. How the shoes just disappeared from her feet and reappeared in her bag. Did the darkness do that? Victoria never seemed that violent.

Was the darkness affecting her? She remember in other cases where the Ghost had always been friendly, but over time gradually became violent. Not because they bad people in life, but being earth bond for so long was changing them.

Was channeling Victoria causing her to change because of the darkness that was after Mai? That was the only logical explanation.

Maybe Naru was partially right. She had a big decision to make. She could quit the show seeing that she was possible in danger and putting the lives of other in danger as well, but if she did that Victoria would never be able to get her last dance.

Not only that, but she would be letting down the charity. There was no one else. She had to finish this once and for all.

Victoria would only be able to move on once she got her final performance and Mai was going to make sure it was the performance of a lifetime.

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**The next day rehearsal. **

Mai was on fire. She had never practiced so hard and so devotedly before. "This is for you Victoria. May you finally get your heart's desire." Mai said to herself. She finished and grabbed a towel to wipe her face.

She was going to get some water when a hand help on out to her. She looked up to find that the hand belonged to Naru.

"What are you doing here?" she sounded surprised. She took in his appearance. He was not wearing black. In fact her was dressed very causal. He wore a long sleeve jersey under a button white shirt with a large front pocket, where she noticed another pair of blue eyes staring at her.

"I was just around and decided to come watch." he said coolly and flashed her one of his sly sexy smiles.

Mai's mouth twitch as she tried to keep her composer. Naru's smiles had a way of making her go gaga. "You know you don't have to keep carrying Sparky around. I'm sure Masako would enjoy watching him." She said as she reached out an plucked her kitten from Naru's pocket.

"I find him to be very useful." Naru responded. Mai found herself laughing at this. She was picturing Sparky hissing and growling at any girl who came near Naru. As much as Mai fond this amusing, she also found it to be irritating.

She did not want Sparky to be rewarded for behaving badly towards others. Not every girl was after Naru. A few maybe, but some were just trying to be friendly and were not terrified of Sparky.

"So the big night is coming up." Naru said.

"It is." Mai agreed.

"I want you to know that even though you want us in the audience, I made sure to instruct everyone to be on high alert. (meaning the stage crew) If anything looks strange or out of place. They are to intervene." He said to her.

"So you really are going to listen to me?" Mai was surprised by this.

"I love you, Mai. I want a life with you and considering things are going to happen. (things meaning supernatural) I need to respect your judgment and trust you more, but I'm still taking my own precautions." He explained.

Mai smiled at him. "I that is reasonable. So when this is all over and we go back to Japan. Am I still fired?" she asked being funny and fluttering her eyelashes.

"Yes." Naru said flatly. Mai was surprised by this and put her hands on her hips and gave him the death stare. "But you can come on cases when you are able to. Now you can spend more time studying and attending therapy. I expect to see an improvement grade wise." He told her and began to walk away.

"I get good grade thank you much!" Mai shouted after him. She turned and smiled to herself. Maybe thing would work out for them. Who knows maybe someday years from now she would be the wife a narcissistic ghost hunter.

* * *

**Show time!**

Mai was pacing her dressing room. She was nervous. She had played it cool as best as she could until now. She was alone and was having a bit of a freak out. It was good though. At least she would get it out of her system by curtain call.

"Ok we can do this." She said as she walked from one wall to the other. "I know what I'm doing and everything will be fine. Nothing bad will happen."

She had already thought about all the bad things that could happen if she screwed this up.

She could end up getting hurt or even worse dying.

She had a mental image of how Melissa died.

The rest of the cast and crew could get hurt or killed.

Naru would see that he was right and continue to treat Mai like an idiot and completely ban her from SPR.

She could some how end up humiliating herself and ruin her chances of ever having a career.

She was interrupting in her mental list of things that could go wrong by the stage manager who told she had five minutes.

Mai left her room and walked to the stage she was calm now. Well calm enough to seem in control and confident. She still had some nerves. Everyone scurried around to get into place.

"This is it." Mai said under her breath. "This is the moment."

The orchestra began to play.

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**So the next chapter will probably be the last chapter. I still can't think of a title for the sequel. I had an idea which I was like "OMG its perfect" but it was late and I didn't write it down and now I have forgotten it. **

**Funny little story about drinking things that look weird and smell weird. I had a Halloween party in elementary school. My mom decided to make this punch (I had no say in this party). I don't remember all that went into it, but it looked yellow and it smell gross. I think I told her it smelled and looked like I believe this was 2****nd**** grade. Everyone refused to drink the stuff. I think it was a combination of all these fruit juices like pineapple and orange and grape and idk what life lesson if it smells bad and it looks gross don't eat it or drink it.  
**

**Please review. Thanks for reading! **


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own Ghost Hunt**

**Chapter 20**

**The Red Shoes (youtube search this "The Red Shoes (ballet) 1948 part1 720p")** **I did my best to describe the ballet, but i didn't do it justice. So i suggest watching it. **  
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The curtain slow drew back onto the dark stage. To reveal a man. He was the shoe maker. His appearance was both intriguing and somewhat frightening. He was in his shoe shop. In this hands were a pair of red slippers.

He danced with the shoes in his hands.

The scene changes to the small town. Its citizens dance around the square by the shoe shop.

A group of girls admire the beautiful red slippers from the window. Mai makes her entrance from a door where her boyfriend is waiting for her. The Shoe maker motions for her to come and look at the shoes.

She and her boyfriend make their way over. Where she too admires the shoes. She entranced by them and sees herself dancing in them.

She and her boyfriend dance their way to the center of the stage. The shoe maker comes out of his shop with the red slippers. He taunts her with the slippers, holding them out to her.

She is unable to resist anymore and she leaps into the shoes which magically take the place of her other slippers.

With the shoes not on her feet, she dances happily around. The shoe maker closes his shop as night falls and the citizens attend a carnival. Mai dances through the streets among the games and other festivities.

The shoe maker causally motions towards the shoes. The happy couple dance their way through the carnival. She soon leaves him behind and dances with every man there.

Her boyfriend is carried away by the crowd. All that is left of him is a cellophane image of him, which she crumples with her feet.

She dances through the life less streets alone. She returns home, but she soon discovers that she can not enter. The shoe will not let her stop dancing.

The shoe maker appears before her and the truth is finally known. She dances around the world.

She find a piece of newspaper. It magically turns into her boyfriend and she dances with him before the newspaper changes back.

She tries to rest, but the shoe maker appears again making her continue dancing.

**(this is the part that I get confused at. I thought she found her way to the slums where the hookers are, but according to wiki "She falls into a netherworld, where she dances with a piece of newspaper which turns briefly into her boyfriend. She is then beset by grotesque creatures, including the shoemaker, who converge upon her in a manner reminiscent of **_**The Rite of Spring**_**." Look like they could be hookers. This part is open to interpretation.)**

So the red shoes refuse to let her stop. She continues to dance. She dances among what looks like a ballroom (I don't really know what it is, it looks like ). She is the only one without a partner.

She finds herself dancing with a partner. (its the guy who was her boyfriend, but I'm not sure if he is supposed to be her boyfriend there. There is a reason and I will explain later.)

The dance and are joined by two other elegant couples.

She continues to dance all the way to the ocean.

She quickly leaves the stage to have her costume change.

The citizens are attending Sunday mass. She appears before them. Her clothes are dirty rags. She is dying. She can not stop dancing. Not one wants to go near her. The church goers shun her from the church. The priest (it's the same guy who was the boyfriend so I thought he became a priest and that she recognized and was asking him for help, but wiki just says he's a priest so idk again.)

He merely shakes his head at her before going back inside the church with the parishioners. The shoe maker appears handing her a knife to cute off the red shoes, but the blade turns into a plant.

She drops the it and it changes back into a knife. She and the shoemaker dance. She escapes from him and runs into the arms of the priest/ minister. She begs for his help. She is dying she motions for him to remove the shoes for her.

He does so. She dies and her carries her away to the church. The shoemaker takes the red shoes back to his shoe shop where they wait for their next victim.

Curtain closes.

The cast screamed and everyone cheered and hugged each other. So proud of what they had accomplished that night.

Mai was on a high. They got in order for the curtain calls. She had 16 curtain calls! The crowd would have kept going except she had decided to quit there. She had heard the SPR team cheering for her. She had made sure they got a box seat close to the stage.

She went off to her dressing room. She was alone for the moment and took this time to say thank you. "Thank you, Victoria. I hope I made you proud." Mai smiled.

She was soon joined by her family.

"Mai, you were incredible!" squealed Masako as they embraced.

The rest of the team went on about how great she was. She had to remind them that they were all going to be later for the party. They made their way back to the hotel. Mai and Masako were amazed when they entered the room. It was filled with roses. There were from various people who were congratulating Mai on her performance.

"Look at this…" Masako's voice trailed off as she looked around and saw that the flowered covered every surface available.

Mai noticed one flower arrangement in particular. She walked to the vase that held many kinds of flowers. She noticed there was lavender and lilac, which were her favorite scent. There were some miniature sunflowers, Mai loved sun flowers because they made her feel warm. Some tulips and in the center was a white rose.

Mai had a feeling she knew who sent this arrangement. She reached in and plucked out the rose. There was a card attached to it that read "with love from Naru" in a word bubble coming out a little hand drawn ghost that was labeled Gene. Mai began to laugh.

She and Masako got ready and went to meet up with everyone in the lobby. They were all in formal evening where. Masako took Yasuhara's put stretched hand was spun into a dip where he kissed her on the lips/

"You look beautiful I just couldn't help myself." He smirked as he bent closer to her. Masako giggle and whispered something back that no one else heard.

"Yasuhara, no glasses tonight?" Ayako commented.

"Nope, I got the contacts in for this special occasion." He smirked with his arm around Masako.

"Well we should probably go in soon. I'm sure everyone is anxious to see Mai." John smiled and motioned towards the ballroom.

Mai took a deep breath and braced herself for the people she knew would swarm around her. Just then a hand slipped around her waist. Mai looked up to see those deep blue eyes she always got lost in.

He smiled at her and led her through the door. She kept looking into his eyes with a dreamy look on her face as he led her past those had swarmed to meet them. She didn't know where they were going but she didn't care.

She found herself on the dance floor with Naru. The music began to play and he waltzed around the floor to her.** (this is So Close by Jon Mclaughlin from the movie Enchanted)**

You're in my arms  
And all the world is gone  
The music playing on for only two  
So close together  
And when I'm with you  
So close to feeling alive

A life goes by  
Romantic dreams must die  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
And now forever I know  
All that I want is to hold you  
So close

So close to reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this one's not pretend  
Now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
So far we are so close

How could I face the faceless days  
If I should lose you now?  
We're so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
And almost believing this one's not pretend  
Let's go on dreaming though we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far

Mai and Naru stopped dancing as the song ended. She stared into his deep blue eyes. She had forgotten about everyone else until someone tapped her on the shoulder and asked if they could have a picture.

She and Naru became separated, but she would get glimpses of him throughout the night. To which their eyes would meet and they would both smile slyly at each other.

Naru saw Mai walk off. He decided to follow her and maybe the two could get some time alone. She exited the ballroom and walked down the hall. Naru did the same. He paused to see her continue towards the elevators. He half ran to catch up with her.

He called to her as she entered the elevator. He was still farther away.

"Mai." He called to her. She looked up at him and smiled. Putting her finger to her lips and as if she were telling him shhh. The doors closed and Naru took the next elevator.

"What the hell is going on?" he thought to himself. Was she playing a game with him? He assumed she was headed towards her room so that's where he went.

The door was unlocked. He entered the room slowly. He looked around. Where was Mai? That was when he spotted her. She was out on the balcony. Looking down at the lit up city.

"Mai…" he said softly as he approached her. She turned and put her finger to his lips this time. That was when he realized something. This was not Mai it was Victoria.

"I had two loves in my life. My darling Julian and dancing." Her hushed voice sound musical and mysterious. "When I was forced to choose, I chose death because there was no way I could live without the either of them."

Naru opened his mouth to speak, but again she place her finger over his lips to quiet him and shook her head and smiled.

"You love her as much as she loves you?" she asked. "Then don't make her choose. It will be far too painful an outcome for the both of you to bare." She left Mai's body.

Mai slumped forward slightly. Naru put out his arms to steady her. She shook her head and blink as she tried to focus.

"Naru, we were both right." she said to him.

"Excuse me?" he had no clue what she was talking about.

"There was something bad about what was going on. It was affecting Victoria as she shadowed me." Mai explained. "That darkness that Gene warned you about, it really is following me."

Naru didn't know what to say, but all that come out of his mouth was "Don't worry. We can fight it together."

Mai frowned slightly and asked "Are you sure you want to get in the middle of this?"

"Anything for a life with you." He began to kiss her before she could say anything else.

They went back to the party. Yasuhara went off to request a song. "I didn't know you could do that here." Mai responded to this news. Yasuhara made his way to the center of the dance floor that everyone had vacated because they had been playing a polka. **(I'm from a super Italian family and my grandparents listen to this radio station. My Grandma was a big fan of this accordion player guy and he played at their 50****th**** wedding anniversary. lol So at weddings they usually tend to at least one polka which clears the dance floor faster than you can blink. Then some drunk great aunts come out and begin to dance. Then you see the older people start to drop because they bump into people doing the electric slide and fall to the floor. I love my family.)**

Yasuhara ran and grabbed Mai's arm and quickly dragged her onto the dance floor with him. "What are you doing?" she whispered to him.

"You'll see." He whispered back with a huge grin on his face. "You my ultimate dance partner." Reminding her of the time in the barn when they danced to the old records they found.

The music started and Mai instantly knew what Yasuhara had in mind. She gave a "Omg this is perfect! You're a genius!" look and he gave her a "I know right?" look back. **(you all have to know this )**

It's close to midnight  
something evil's lurkin' from the dark  
under moonlight  
You see a sight that almost stops your heart  
You try to scream  
But terror takes the sound before you make it  
You start to freeze  
As terror looks you right between your eyes  
You're paralyzed

'Cause this is thriller  
Thriller night  
And no one's gonna save you  
From the beast about to strike  
You know it's killer  
Thriller night  
You're fighting for your life  
Inside a killer  
Thriller tonight, yeah

You hear the door slam  
And realize there's nowhere left to run  
You feel the cold hand  
And wonder if you'll ever see the sun  
You close your eyes  
And hope that this is just imagination  
Girl, but all the while  
You hear a creature creepin' up behind  
You're outta time

'Cause this is thriller  
Thriller night  
There ain't no second chance  
to count the thing with the forty eyes, girl  
(Thriller)  
(Thriller night)  
You're fighting for your life  
Inside a killer  
Thriller tonight

Night creatures call  
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade  
There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time  
(They're open wide)  
This is the end of your life

They're out to get you  
There's demons closing in on every side  
They will possess you  
Unless you change that number on your dial  
Now is the time  
For you and I to cuddle close together, yeah  
All through the night  
I'll save you from the terror on the screen  
I'll make you see

That this is thriller  
Thriller night  
'Cause I can thrill you more  
Than any ghoul would ever dare try  
(Thriller)  
(Thriller night)  
So let me hold you tight  
And share a  
killer, diller, chiller  
Thriller here tonight

'Cause this is thriller  
Thriller night  
Girl, I can thrill you more  
Than any ghoul would ever dare try  
(Thriller)  
(Thriller night)  
So let me hold you tight  
And share a  
(killer, thriller)

I'm gonna thrill you tonight

[speaking]  
Darkness falls across the land  
The midnight hour is close at hand  
Creatures crawl in search of blood  
To terrorize y'all's neighborhood  
And whosoever shall be found  
Without the soul for getting down  
Must stand and face the hounds of hell  
And rot inside a corpse's shell

Mai and Yasuhara did the thriller dance. They were soon joined by other dancers. Monk, Ayako, Masako, and Peter joined in too. Lin and Naru didn't, but they watched with amusement.

Mai ran over to Naru and threw her arms around and forced him to dance with her sort of. He had arms around her and swayed as she bounced around and everyone danced to the song.

I'm gonna thrill you tonight  
(Thriller, thriller)  
I'm gonna thrill you tonight  
(Thriller night, thriller)  
I'm gonna thrill you tonight  
Ooh, babe, I'm gonna thrill you tonight  
Thriller night, babe

[Speaking]  
The foulest stench is in the air  
The funk of forty thousand years  
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb  
Are closing in to seal your doom  
And though you fight to stay alive  
Your body starts to shiver  
for no mere mortal can resist  
the evil of the thriller

**Ok I decided to make a short bonus chapter. Its something I forgot about. **

**I hope you guys read the other stories. I'm sorry for the wait. I got a PS3 and even thought I don't really like to play games that much. It is a little addicting. lol Please review and thanks for reading.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please Review.  
**

**This is M rated. **

**Chapter 21

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_ "You know there are many many people out there who find the twincest to be beautiful." Mai said crossing her arms. Naru choked on his drink._

_ "Did you just say twincest?" He looked shocked. _

_ "Yeah. The forbidden love between brothers. So poetic." Mai sang out and signed._

_ "That is just wrong. And before you ask, no Gene and I never had anything like that! You read too much manga." Naru shook his head. Mai laughed. _

_ "Hmm well we'll see." Mai said in sly way. She may have been ignoring her powers, but she did learn a few new tricks._

Dear readers, you may have remembered this conversation back in chapter 13. Well this conversation proves to be very important. As mentioned before. Mai learned a few new tricks.

Mai was tempted to play a prank on Naru, but decided not to until the faith healer incident. Yes. The one where Naru didn't even attempt to catch Mai and she fell off the stage (understatement of the year.)

It was shortly after that event that Mai decided that revenge was necessary. Or at least it would make her feel a heck of a lot better.

How does one pull a prank on Naru?

Many have tried before, but have failed. Naru was smart and his cool demeanor allowed for him ward off attacks by those would be pranksters. Aka Yasuhara and Monk.

But Mai didn't have to worry about that. Her new trick would get him good. He would never see it coming. Mai sat by her vanity grinning as she imagined Naru's discomfort.

She wouldn't be satisfied by just her knowing about her prank and knowing why Naru was acting unusual. She wanted everyone to know.

Mai looked at the clock. Naru should be asleep by now. She was glad at this moment that Gene was back and ready to assist her in her scheme. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She transported herself to another plane.

Gene stood waiting for her. He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs up signaling that Naru was indeed asleep and it was time to commence Operation Twincest!

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**Operation Twincest**

Naru was in his room. He was sleeping shirtless in bed. The room was dark except for the light that streamed in through the curtains from the skyline at night. He stirred. He reached over and put his arm around Mai and pressed his body against her.

She slipped the covers away to expose her naked upper torso. Now that he realize it, he too was naked. She climbed up on top of him. They began to kiss and he rubbed his hands down her smooth body…

As Naru was feeling Mai he realized how different she seemed. Her kissing was more aggressive and her body was harder and more muscular. "Well she is a dancer. Those rehearsals must have really toned her… Wait when did Mai get a six pack?" Naru pulled away and stared in horror.

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry I guess I just don't know my own strength." Gene said in a seductive voice and went to continue. Naru yelled and pushed him back as he jumped out of the bed.

"What the hell?" he yelled at looked back at the bed.

"Naru? What is with you?" Mai said clearly annoyed as she lay on her side propped up by her elbow.

"I—you- …." Naru stuttered.

"Well if you going to just babble like that, I might as well go back to my room." Mai made a motion to get up. Naru now returning to his senses decided to continue their night together.

They decided to take a bath together. Naru picked up Mai's naked body and carried her into the bathroom. He placed her gently in the large tub with bubbles (Mai's touch) and got in on top of her.

He listened to her moan in pleasure, that was until her realized her moans sounded strange. He turned quickly and for a second thought he was seeing Gene again, but after he blink Gene was gone and Mai was back.

"Here let me wash your back." Mai said seductively. Naru turned to face away from her. She took the wash clothe and gently ran is down his skin.

"hmmm." Was all Naru said. His eyes were closed.

"Our baths together as children were never this enjoyable." Gene said softly into Naru ear and wrapped his arms around him. Naru's eyes shot open and he looked in the mirror in front of him.

Resting his head on Naru's shoulder was Gene. Naru jumped up. He could feel himself slip and fall out of the tub.

Naru picked himself up off the floor. He was in his pajamas and in his dark hotel room. Looked around his room and found it empty. He jumped up and searched the closets and the bathroom. No Gene and no Mai. It was all just a dream.

That morning everyone had decided to eat breakfast together in the dinning room. Naru was the last one to join them. He looked tired and shaken. His seemed out of focus. Mai and everyone exchanged amused looks.

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**Part two: continue to torture Naru.**

Mai had instructed Yasuhara to introduce certain subjects that could be used in breakfast table conversation that would make Naru think about his dream.

"So Mai, that big suite of yours." Yasuhara started.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"How big is the bathtub?" he asked.

"Huge." Mai replied

"Big enough for two?" he asked.

"Oh definitely. It could probably fit three comfortably." Mai answered and returned to her breakfast.

They looked over at Naru who seemed to have tightened his grip on his fork.

"What's the matter, Naru?" Masako asked.

"You as if you've seen a ghost." Ayako commented.

"Didn't you get much sleep last night?" Monk asked.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Mai asked.

"Or maybe a wet one?" Yasuhara asked earning a few annoyed looks and a death glare from Naru.

The waiter brought out a plate of waffles with whipped cream and maple syrup and powdered sugar. It was complements of the chef her informed them. Mai reached her fork in a bite.

She moaned in pleasure. "Ohhh ohhh. Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "This is amazing. You guys have to try some."

They each reached over and dug in. They each moaned out in pleasure as well except Lin. Naru didn't try any.

"This is the best thing ever!" Monk exclaimed.

"Better than a prada!: Ayako exclaimed.

"Better than bubble baths." Said Yasuhara

With every bite the same the reaction. Peter who joined them later commented. "You guys sound like a bunch of moaning ghosts."

"Ghosts having a love fest." Yasuhara joked. Everyone started to laugh except Naru. He slammed his fork down on the table and began to yell.

"How did you find out?" he yelled.

"Find out what?" Lin asked. Everyone gave him confused looks.

"About my dream! Stop playing dumb. I know you all know!" he yelled.

"Look Naru, I think maybe you should get some more rest." Monk said.

"Wait what dream?" Lin asked again.

"WHERE GENE AND I HAD SEX IN THE BATHTUB!" He shouted as he stood up. He looked around at their shocked expressions and then to the rest of the dinners who were also starting at him. He sat back down slowly and began to eat his breakfast.

Everyone lost interest and returned to their meals as well. Mai smiled as she heard Gene say to her "Mission Accomplished."

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**Ok that's the end of this story. Stay tuned for the next story that comes. I still haven't come up with a title. If worse comes to worse it will be "Change". Please Review**


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